Winemaker Notes
Appealing and elegant ruby robe. Delicate red fruit aromas. A subtle overtone of wood reveals its spicy bouquet. Remarkable balance with round and ripe tannins. Elegant and silky on the palate, it finishes with a delectable touch offemininity.
This is a great wine to sip on the patio on a hot summer’s day or as a cocktail. The wine goes well with shell fish, white fish, sushi and curry, as well as white-meat dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Powerful black fruit nose, cassis and blackberry with earthy undertones and hints of restrained oak notes. Silky texture, with a great concentration, poised and harmonious. Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine comes from nearly 90 acres of estate vines. Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, the rich black-currant fruit is poised between density and freshness. The wine will age well, so drink from 2024.
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James Suckling
Spiced and fragrant nose of blackberries, currants, juniper berries and chocolate. Medium-bodied with creamy tannins and a smooth, polished palate. 55% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 3% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. Drink after 2022.
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Vinous
The 2019 Paloumey is bashful on the nose at first, unfurling to reveal blackberry, red cherry and orange rind scents, plus a touch of cedar and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, lovely blackberry and bilberry fruit laced with cedar and graphite, and a poised, persistent finish. What a pretty Paloumey!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I somewhat underrated the suave, elegant 2019 Paloumey when I tasted it from bottle earlier this year. Wafting from the glass with scents of sweet cherries, red berries, rose petals, spices and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with melting tannins, bright fruit flavors and a long, saline finish. It's the first vintage certified organic at this address.
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Wine Spectator
Offers sleek cassis and plum puree notes that race through, guided by judicious toast accents and carried by a nice tug of warm earth through the finish.
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.