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Really enjoying this heavily peated Glen turret
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https://i.ibb.co/Mh3gK3V/IMG-2727.jpg
Really enjoying this heavily peated Glen turret
Château de Colombe, Sainte-Colombe, Castillion, Côtes de Bordeaux, 2020
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Across the slope from Saint Emilion’s Grands Crus: Châteaux Faugères and de Pressac lies little Château de Colombe. It sits on the same limestone ridge but in less fashionable Castillon.
Medium to full bodied, 14.5% ABV Drink by end of 2024.
L'Épiphanie de Margaux, Bordeaux, 2020
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“There is a delicacy about archetypal Margaux, and a sweet, haunting perfume, that can make it the most exquisite claret of all.” The normal bottle price from this château is £100s, but this one cost a lot less."
Tasting notes:
Black fruits, cherry and plum; subtle spice, cedar and tobacco.
Aroma:
Complex ripe black fruit character; toasty oak, tobacco spice.
Medium bodied, 14.5% ABV. Drink by end of March 2035.
Château Peymouton, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, 2018
The 2018 Peymouton is straightforward on the nose, featuring blackberry, briary, scorched earth and light tarry aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and quite structured, displaying blackberry and bilberry fruit and a light marine influence toward the finish.
Château Peymouton is located on a high plateau on a parcel of the estate, that is composed of a thin layer of rich clay over limestone and partly of deep, thick red clay. These soils contribute density and structure while the limestone helps impart elegance to the wine.
Château Peymouton is part of the estate of Château Laroque, a historic Grande Cru Classe of Saint-Émilion just to the east of the medieval village, acquired by the Beaumartin family in 1935. From the 1960's, the family started regenerating and modernising the vineyards along with their facilities. Merlot-dominated, this full-bodied Bordeaux has dark fruits, with structure and length.
14.5% ABV About £25 a bottle. Drink by end of 2033
Le Vieux Château Guibeau, Puisseguin Saint-Émilion 2019
Superb, Merlot-rich claret from an award-winning estate: the Saint-Emilion satellite, Puisseguin, offering class and value with its ample rich plum and cassis intensity. Cellar or enjoy now.
Tasting notes:
Smooth, ample ripe plum and cassis, with firm tannins, tight oak spice.
Aroma:
Ripe plum, blackberry, herby leafy edge, cloves.
80% Merlot, 10% cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.
14% ABV. About £20 a bottle. Drink by 15.11.2036
First of a couple of new drams to try
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Château de Colombe, Sainte-Colombe, Castillion, Côtes de Bordeaux, 2021
Château de Colombe in the village of Sainte-Colombe lies on the steep, sunny face of the limestone ridge that runs along the Dordogne valley, from the village of Sainte-Emilion to Castillion-Bataille. The blend is mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc with some Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 harvest delivered an exemplary Bordeaux wine with classic freshness and complexity.
Tasting notes:
Velvet texture, fleshy dark berry fruit, underlying creamy spice.
Aroma:
Intense ripe plum and cherry with a hint of oak and creaminess.
13.5% ABV. Drink by end of 2026. About £15 a bottle.
Château du Ragon 2020, Bordeaux AOP
Awarded two Gold medals, this is a rich, flavoursome claret from the exceptional 2020 vintage.
Tasting notes:
Juicy, rounded flavours of plum, cherry and blackberry, smooth spice.
Aroma:
Ripe aromas of juicy red and black fruits, soft spices.
"So supple and easy-going, this is an appealing claret"
13% ABV. Drink by end of 2025. About £20 a bottle.
Château de la Grande Tour, Cuvée Phoebe, Bordeaux 2022
This is a new Bordeaux to me.
Located in the village of Saint-Martial in Bordeaux's Entre-Deux-Mers, Château de la Grande Tour has been in the Dumas family since the end of the 19th century. The old stone farmhouse once boasted a large watchtower, hence the property's name (and not to be confused with the considerably more expensive Château Latour). Xavier Dumas is today the fourth generation of his family to run the estate, combining tradition and modernity in the wine making.
80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Gold medal winner 2023 Concours Général Agricole
"Very dark colour with purplish reflections. Bouquet of black fruit with a discreet woody mineral undertone. Pleasant concentration and expressive flavours. An elaborate, complex cuvée that is definitely worth cellaring for a while."
14.5% ABV. Drink by end of 2032. £15 a bottle, but can be as low as £11 a bottle if bought in quantity.