Wine in Libornais

Deep plum, purple color. Gorgeous perfume on the nose of earthy, tobacco, plum, black cherry and floral notes. Full-bodied, with racy, intense acidity and tannins. Powerful and layered, with a subtle fruit and long finish.

This well-known Bordeaux Superieur, which has a fabulous reputation for aging 20-30 years in certain vintages, comes from proprietor Xavier Milhad. The 2012, a blend of 78% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a dense ruby/plum color and attractive, juicy blackcurrant fruit. Supple, round and generous, this is an over-achiever and a sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 5-10 years, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts longer, given the fact that I’ve had the 1953 and 1955 in the last five years and both were still in great shape.

This blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is fruit-driven, exhibiting a deep plum and ruby hue with heady aromas of black currant, black cherry, licorice, and graphite. The Chateau Laplagnotte Bellevue Bordeaux shows a medium body with soft, silky tannins, and consumer-friendly appeal.

Saint-Émilion is without doubt one of the greatest of all Bordeaux appellations. It is here that the Merlot grape, blended with Cabernet Franc, reaches its apex. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, the first area of vineyards to be recognized as such. Some of the most famous châteaux in the world are located here: Ausone, Angélus, Pavie, and Cheval Blanc to name a few. Yet, Saint-Émilion is also home to excellent values, delicious wines that express the fruit forward drinkability of Merlot combined with the complexity and intensity these blends can achieve. One of the best I've had recently is from a fabulous estate — tucked in between some of the best châteaux in the region — one that flies under the radar... for now: Château La Croix Montlabert, the second label of the Grand Cru Château Montlabert. This is truly, a Grand Cru on the rise. Michel Descazes Montlabert founded this picturesque château in the 1700's, when its original function was that of a hunting lodge. Château Montlabert, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, lies on the "Route de Libourne" and is surrounded by illustrious neighbors: Châteaux Cheval Blanc, Clos des Jacobins and Figeac. The vineyards are planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc on 13 hectares over sand with clay, gravel and limestone soils. The Castel family owns the estate, and since 2009 has invested significantly in elevating the status of the château to that of a world-class estate. In 2010, Hubert de Bouard of Château Angélus came on board as their consultant, and working with Ludovic and Maxime Hérault — the château's manager and cellar master — they have improved the precision in the vineyard and the meticulous attention to detail in the cellar. The results are outstanding.

Grape blend: Merlot 84%, Cabernet Franc 14%, Cabernet Sauvignon 2% AGEING: Barriques neuves 50 %, Barriques 1 vin et plus 50 %

La Gravette, the second wine of Vieux Château Certan, is named after a parcel of vines located between Certan and Le Pin. 30% of VVC's crop is designated for La Gravette-mostly the younger vines and the Cabernets. 2013 has more vieilles vignes in his blend. Th ewine has a fresh, vibrant nose with aromas of autumn fruit and a hint of smoke. The palate is soft and fruity with great balance and a silky texture. This is a wine to be enjoyed young, to best appreciate its lovely fruit character, and served lightly chilled. A very pretty Pomerol.

Grapes are vinified batch by batch, in oak or stainless steel vats, then aged for 18 months in oak barrels (33% new). The wine is fined traditionally, using fresh egg white. This vintage was bottled on a fruit day according to the lunar calendar, to allow the wine to express itself fully.

Discover Chateau Pavie Macquin Saint-Emilion Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

Discover Chateau Haut Simard St Emilion Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

Almost entirely from Merlot, this wine is packed with wood as much as fruit. The wine has a smoky, burnt character that will need to disappear to allow the black fruits to come through.

Discover Clos Dubreuil ‘Anna’ St. Emilion Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

Discover Chateau La Fleur Gazin Pomerol 2011 Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

Discover Chateau Barde Haut Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2004 Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

Discover Chateau Quintus Saint-Emilion 2012 Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

Discover Chateau Croix De Rambeau Lussac-Saint-Emilion Red Bordeaux Blend Beer. Is a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage. You can learn more about this beer and its availability here.

The harmony of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is complemented by the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon in this red wine blend from Bordeaux. Ripe plums, black cherry liquor and dried cassis provide sumptuous aromas while hints of orange peel, toasted allspice, fresh cinnamon bark and dried tea leaf beckon. A velvety, Merlot-driven mid-palate slowly opens into a multi-layered bouquet of red fruit, toasted baking spices, truffle and coffee bean. An iron-rich minerality provides a taut, complex structure, while fine-grained tannins and firm acidity grip the palate to sustain a long and elegant finish. This classic expression of Saint-Émilion offers a dual brightness and sophistication that will continue to improve for years to come.

Indicative blend: 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon

St Emilion is famed for its limestone outcrops and caves, and Tour Baladoz is one of many properties whose former cellars lie beneath the vineyards, with the vine roots trailing in the cool air. Remarkably, this keeps the vineyards refreshed in dry vintages and stops them from being waterlogged in wet ones. Delicious rich, evolving red and black fruits with a hint of oak spice, powerful yet elegant, this is a serious dinner wine.

Wine Advocate-St. Emilion, France - "This formidable wine has loads of structure, an undeniable chalky minerality, big, rich blackberry and creme de cassis fruit, with hints of spring flowers, tar and licorice. Magnificent and pure, this is a killer example of St.-Emilion that is full-bodied." (Concentrated, Black Fruit, Cassis, Full-bodied)

Generally the robe of the wines of Libournais is deep ruby ​​with purple reflections. The red and black fruits are very present with notes of wood and vanilla due to aging more or less long in barrels. Roundness and power, these red wines have a seductive and full-bodied bouquet.