Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Impressive wet-stone and dark-berry aromas here, as well as some purple flowers. The palate has a very juicy, supple and fleshy array of ripe plums, blueberries and cassis, cast amid fine, long and fresh tannins. Try from 2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
From an estate dominated by its moated castle, this wine is firm, structured and ripe with blackberry fruits. Its richness is balanced with fresh acidity and ripe tannins. Drink this wine, full of aging potential, from 2023.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a vineyard not far from La Lagune, the 2016 Château D'Agassac is another outstanding wine from the team of Derenoncourt. Lots of dark fruits (black cherries, cassis) and cedar emerge from this medium to full-bodied effort that’s layered, has building tannins, and rock-solid concentration. The Haut-Médoc is a treasure trove of fabulous values in 2016 and this is a beauty. I’d be happy to drink bottles over the coming 15 years or so.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.