Winemaker Notes
A dense ruby-black colour. The first nose develops aromas of candied red fruit and toasting notes, while the second is almost exotic. The attack in the mouth is lively with tight tannins, however the red fruit comes through and adds roundness to the wine. Excellent aromatic complexity (coffee, chocolate, liquorice, plum jam) and powerful tannins, revealing a wine with very long ageing potential. As one illustrious taster has said, "this elixir charms both the palate and the intellect".
"...this is one of the stars of the Right Bank..."
-Wine Advocate
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
This wine comes from a tiny vineyard located just above Pavie consisting of pure limestone soils. The wine is basically all merlot (there’s 10% Cabernet Franc) brought up in plenty of new oak, yet it never lacks for fruit. The 2002 is certainly in its drink window, with the more focused, firm style of the vintage balanced nicely by plenty of sweet black fruits as well as complex notes of truffle, cedar, and tobacco notes. It has good acidity and beautiful balance, and readers can safely drink this beauty anytime over the coming 10-15 years, and it will probably keep even longer.
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.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.