Winemaker Notes
Blend: 79% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is very crunchy, with bright blackberries, cherries and some chocolate. Medium body, supporting a solid core of fruit and a flavorful finish. Shows energy. Another excellent wine from limestone soils.
Barrel Sample: 93-94 -
Decanter
Cool and fresh blackcurrant tones on the nose, smells vibrant and alive. Juicy and racy, this sings out the glass, great energy of strawberry and raspberry fruit with touches of herbal mint and sage, with some dark chocolate and tobacco. Nice construction and good length with a real vivacity to it. Great purity as well as concentration but keeping a lean focus. Very balanced, harmonious, all in its place, but carefully controlled. Strict finish but I love it. Less Merlot and more Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual. Ageing in 500l barrels. 32hl/ha yield.
Barrel Sample: 93 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Smoky red and black fruits, tobacco, and leather notes all emerge from the 2023 Château La Prade, another beauty from this team offering medium-bodied richness, a supple, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. This savory, complex, satisfying effort should keep for 7-8 years as well and drink nicely right out of the gate. The blend is 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, aging in 40% new French oak.
Barrel Sample: 90-92
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.
FCA1997437_2023 Item# 1997437