Shop
Chateau Ormes des Pez, Bordeaux
Some very old ormes (elm trees), which no longer exist, account for the name of this property, whose history can be traced back to the 18th century. The 35-hectare vineyard is located around the hamlet of Pez and is divided into two main plots, in the center and north of the commune of Saint-Estephe.
Chateau Ormes des Pez has very homogenous soil (a clay gravel mixture typical of Saint-Estephe) and many of the vines are quite old. The grapes are hand-picked. After selecting the vats and blending, the wine is aged in oak barrels for 15 months in a magnificent cellar overlooking the courtyard.The 2016 vintage was characterised by a relatively early bud break, a wet spring, ideal flowering, a hot dry summer resulting in the progressive introduction of water supply constraints and an autumn conducive to ripening, bringing just a few millimetres of necessary rainfall.
Chateau Petit Bocq, Saint-Estephe, 2020
Château Talbot, Château Talbot 4ème , 2016
Fourth Growth. Quatrieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855. Undeniably, Talbot is one of the most famous Médoc wines. Having been in the same family for more than a century, this estate with more than one hundred hectares of vines produces wine that is recognized for the consistent quality of its vintages. ‘For many, Talbot embodies the ideal Saint Julien, a generous bouquet, extremely stable and dependable during aging,’ emphasize Bettane and Desseauve in their Guide to French Wines. It’s true, Talbot is a champion of longevity; even young Talbot is pleasant and rounded, always characterized by silky, mild and very civilized tannins. Talbot possesses an expansive character. It’s never withdrawn into itself and has the courtesy of being in a good mood every day. It’s a racy wine, with complex marks of Havana tobacco and licorice, classically delicious without ever the slightest hint of austerity.
Famille Vauthier, Château Moulin Saint-Georges, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 2013
The terraces of Moulin Saint-Georges (7 ha) face those of Ausone (same owner). Thanks to the quality of its terroir and the refined style of its wines, Moulin Saint-Georges is a sure bet in the appellation. As the Revue du Vin de France's 2024 guide points out, "quality has been impressively consistent for over two decades, and prices remain reasonable. The only regret is the quantities available...".
Famille Vauthier, Château Moulin Saint-Georges, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 2017
Jean-Philippe Janoueix, Château Croix Mouton, Bordeaux Superieur, 2017
Ch. Croix Mouton is a wine that surpasses its appellation, which means that the quality is higher than one would expect. The estate is in hands of Jean-Philippe Janoueix, same owner as Ch. La Confession (St. Emilion) and Ch. La Croix St. Georges (Pomerol). Small returns (46hl/ha), cultivation of the soil, leaf removal, sorting out when harvesting, use of gravity when putting the grapes in the cuvees, elevation on new oak, etc… all those things contribute to top quality for a very reasonable price. Jean-Philippe Janoueix is a very precise person, which reflects in the quality of his wines. Do also read my comments on his newly bought chateau Cap Saint Georges (Saint Georges in St. Emilion), and his other wines mentioned above.
L’HETRE (Jacques Thienpont)
l'Hêtre 2016 is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc and was aged for 15 months in oak barrels. It has a dark purple colour; fresh and sweet on the nose with a good expression of autumn fruits; on the attack the wine is firm and rich with good, ripe tannins and a round, silky structure; on the palate the wine is fresh and spicy.
La Dame de L’Hospital, Graves red
The Dame de l'Hospital Graves Rouge from Château de d'Hospital in Bordeaux reveals a dense purple color in the swirled glass. This French cuvée flatters in the glass wonderfully distinguished notes of plums and sour cherries. This is joined by hints of toasted wood.
The Château de d'Hospital Dame de l'Hospital Graves Rouge presents itself pleasantly dry to the wine enthusiast. This red wine never appears coarse or meager, as one might expect from a wine in the high quality wine range. On the tongue, this powerful red wine is characterized by an incredibly silky texture. Due to the balanced fruit acidity, the Dame de l'Hospital Graves Rouge flatters with a soft mouthfeel without lacking freshness. The final of this youthful red wine from the wine-growing region of Bordeaux finally thrills with beautiful reverberation.
Les Jamelles, Malbec, Pays d’Oc
The principal grape variety of the Cahors appellation, Malbec is also grown in the Bordeaux region. It is also grown in Argentina to produce wines that hugely popular around the world. This early-ripening grape yields a wine that is extremely fruity and fragrant with deep colour and solid tannins that make it well suited to laying down.
In order to express its full potential, this rather capricious grape variety needs to be grown in poor soil and harvested at optimal maturity.
Les Tours de Laroque, Saint-Emilion grand cru, 2018
This exceptional second wine from the French vineyard Château Laroque near Bordeaux is a true delight, with a fragrant bouquet of intense fruit and dark notes. A perfect harmony of black cherry, cassis and plum liqueur unfolds on the palate, complemented by elegant tannin and a tremendous finish. This juicy fruit and the velvety tannin of Saint-Émilion are precisely what give Laroque wines their signature finesse.