Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A soft and juicy wine with plums, chocolate and some violets. Medium to full body and a round and caressing tannin texture. Flavorful finish. Drink in 2020 but already gorgeous.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 La Prade is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc picked between October 1-13 at 40 hectoliters per hectare. This has a lively, generous bouquet with plenty of blackcurrant, briary and almost minty aromas soaring from the glass. The palate is quite grainy on the entry, reserved and more masculine than the nose suggests, with a linear and structured finish suggesting that this Francs Côtes de Bordeaux will give drinking pleasure over the next ten years. This is worth seeking out.
Barrel Sample: 89-91 -
Wine Spectator
A light juniper hint leads the way, followed quickly by gently mulled cherry, currant and plum fruit flavors. Offers a sleek feel through the finish, with an underlying iron hint. The fruit lingers nicely. Very pure. Drink now through 2021.
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.
On the right bank of Bordeaux between St. Emilion and Bergerac, Cotes de Francs boasts southwestern exposed slopes that produce robust Merlot-based wines. A tiny amount of Sémillon is grown and made in both dry and sweet styles.
JOBF157680_2015 Item# 157680