Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux Grand Cru Classé AOC

2021, 2013, 2018

Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux Grand Cru Classé AOC

Château Brane-Cantenac stands proudly in the heart of the prestigious Margaux appellation.
Renowned for its wines of remarkable elegance and finesse, this 75-hectare property is an emblem of quality and excellence in the world of fine wines.

Since Henri Lurton took over in 1992, he has made it his mission to produce the best possible wine, reinforcing Brane’s position as a second classified growth in 1855. The result is a fine wine that perfectly expresses its remarkable terroir.

The rainfall marked this vintage. Despite their very low yields and their natural precocity, Merlots did not provide a sufficient level of quality, hence their historically low proportion in the Brane-Cantenac blend. Conversely, thanks to the precocity of the Brane plateau, the Cabernet Sauvignon was able to achieve good quality on this 2013 vintage.

For more info, visit Château Brane-Cantenac website.

VARIETALS
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc

VINTAGE
2013 – Download Tasting Note

2018 – Download Tasting Note

2021 – Download Tasting Note

Château Chasse-Spleen Moulis en Médoc Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC

2020, 2021, 2013

Château Chasse-Spleen Moulis en Médoc Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC

Château Chasse-Spleen is the leading Moulis estate along with Château Poujeaux. Although it is classified only as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc’s more renowned classed growths. There are numerous stories trying to explain the name of Chateau Chasse Spleen. The first version is that the name was inspired from a visit by Lord Byron in 1821, which was so moved, that he quoted, “Quel remede pour chasser le spleen”, which when loosely translated means, “What remedy to remove the spleen?”. The other equally poetic explanation is attributed to the poem Spleen, whose author Charles Baudelaire also visited Château Chasse-Spleen.
A very elegant, fresh and classical wine with a lot of energy and drive on the finish with great aging potential.

For more info, visit Château Chasse-Spleen website.

VARIETALS
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot

VINTAGE
2013 –  Download Tasting Note

2020 –  Download Tasting Note

2021 –  Download Tasting Note

Château Clauzet Saint-Estèphe AOC

2013, 2017

Château Clauzet Saint-Estèphe AOC

Château Clauzet is a classic red Bordeaux blend from the Saint-Estèphe appellation in the Médoc.

While 2013 was a challenging vintage for red Bordeaux across the board, critics generally describe Clauzet 2013 as a successful, mid-weight wine with the firm structure typical of its region.

The 2017 vintage is particularly notable as it was the final one produced under the 20-year ownership of Baron Velge before the estate was sold to Jacky Lorenzetti  and the integration of Château Clauzet within the structure of Château La Haye.

VARIETALS
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot

VINTAGE
2013 – Download Tasting Note

2017 – Download Tasting Note

Château Montrose Saint-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé AOC

2013

Château Montrose Saint-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé AOC

The history of Montrose, written in two centuries by three families of owners, is depositary of their spirit, marked by their quest of excellence and legendary vintages. Pioneers in the Médoc, visionary builders and wise managers, all these families knew how to work and valorise this unique terroir. The estate owes them the foundation on which Montrose builds its image today and its unique place in the world of exceptional wines.

The result of rigorous selection at each stage of production, in both the vineyard and the winery, this great, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon wine is typical of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. Structured and tannic but with all the elegance and refinement of a Grand Cru Classé, with time it develops a delicate and complex bouquet.

Climatic conditions for the 2013 vintage were generally more difficult than in other years, highlighting the importance of the Montrose terroir and microclimate. St-Estèphe escaped the torrential rain at harvest that plagued most of the Medoc and the resulting wines are incredible. An unusual blend as it has no Cabernet Franc ain this vintage.

For more info, visit Château Montrose website.

VARIETALS
68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

VINTAGE
2013

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Château Phélan Ségur Saint-Estèphe AOC

2021, 2013, 2017

Château Phélan Ségur Saint-Estèphe AOC

Château Phélan-Ségur is a St Estèphe property that produces textbook meaty, solid and long-lived St Estèphe. Founded by Irishman Bernard O’Phelan, the estate was developed by his son, Frank, and renamed Phélan Ségur in the early 20th century. It was bought by Xavier Gardinier in 1985 and run by his sons, Thierry and Laurent until 2018, when Philippe Van de Vyvere bought the property.

2013 saw an extremely wet, cool spring. And a dry summer. September was less rainy in the St Estèphe appellation than in the rest of the Médoc, enabling to wait for optimal ripeness and to harvest the grapes with a relatively relaxed attitude.

For more info, visit Château Phélan Ségur website.

VARIETALS
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot

VINTAGE
2013 – Download Tasting Note

2017 – Download Tasting Note

2021 – Download Tasting Note

L'Héritier de Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac (Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2nd wine)

2013, 2017

L’Héritier de Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac (Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2nd wine)

Three large plots in the best parts of Pauillac form the vineyard of this classified growth, an unusual configuration and a direct inheritance from the estate’s founder, Pierre Ducasse, an eminent lawyer. In the 18th century he gave a single name to a fine vineyard holding, which was put together through inheritance and purchases. When he died in 1797, his son, Pierre, inherited a 60-hectare exploitation, named Ducasse-Grand-Puy-Artigues-Arnaud, of which two third were planted with vines. The estate was classified in 1855, under the name of Artigues Arnaud.

L’Héritier de Grand Puy Ducasse is the second wine of Château Grand-Puy Ducasse. A distinguished red wine that embodies the classic elegance of the Pauillac AOC with rich flavors and refined tannins.

For more info, visit Château Grand-Puy Ducasse website.

VARIETALS
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot

VINTAGE 
2013 –  Download Tasting Note

2017 –  Download Tasting Note

M. Chapoutier Les Greffieux Ermitage

2013

M. Chapoutier Les Greffieux Ermitage

The story began with Michel Chapoutier, a unique man with a thirst for knowledge, definitely one of a kind. He seeks to discover and reflect the full potential of his terroirs and let the soils express their true character.
This now forms the basis of the M. CHAPOUTIER ethos to reveal the very best of what the soils have to offer.

Fac&Spera (“Do and Hope”) is the motto of Maison Chapoutier and the philosophy applied to the best plot selections of these wines. There, the winegrower lets the terroir express itself without hindrance in order to obtain with exactitude the conjunction of the soil, the climate and the know-how resulting from the tradition. It is the photograph of a grape variety in a vintage on a given terroir. These are exceptional, rare wines created from our oldest vines. Here, biodynamics takes on its full meaning.

Certified biodynamic and organic wine and controlled by Ecocert.

For more info, visit M. Chapoutier website.

VARIETALS
100% Syrah

VINTAGE
2013

 Download Tasting Note

Susana Balbo Nosotros Single Vineyard Nómade Malbec

2019, 2013, 2016, 2017

Susana Balbo Nosotros Single Vineyard Nómade Malbec

Nosotros line celebrates the efforts of all the people who work day by day to make this wine and it is considered the winery’s “selection of selections”. Each vintage, Susana selects the harvest’s best single vineyard to create Nosotros, one of Argentina’s most iconic 100% Malbec wines.
Nosotros is one of the few ultra-premium Argentine Malbecs that can boast impressive power with incredible balance and refined structure thanks to Susana’s artful winemaking.

Every wine collector must have a bottle in the cellar.

For more info, visit Susana Balbo website.

VARIETAL
100% Malbec

VINTAGE

2013 – Download Tasting Note

2016 – Download Tasting Note

2017 – Download Tasting Note

2019 – Download Tasting Note