Grape Percentage 100% Gewurztraminer

Notes on the Producer

Château Mongravey is located in Arsac in the famous Margaux appellation, about 22 kilometers northwest of Bordeaux. Created in 1980 by Régis Bernaleau by combining several prime parcels in Margaux, the estate produces an exceptional wine due to its unique location between Château Giscours (3ème Grand Cru Classé) and Château du Tertre (5ème Grand Cru Classé). The charismatic Karin Bernaleau joined the estate in 1999 and directs marketing and distribution for Mongravey. Her son, Jérôme, has now joined the family five year ago and is involved in the viticulture and vinification.

It became a “Cru Bourgeois” in the 2003 Classification and was upgraded to “Cru Bourgeois Supérieur” in the 2020 Classification. Mongravey is one of the best Margaux wines available today, surpassing many of the prestigious Classified Growths in quality and over-delivering for the price.

The vineyard is 36 acres in size planted mostly on gravely soil with low yields. After harvest from mid-September to mid-October, the wine is vinified in separate vats and undergoes cold maceration for 5 days to maximize color and to soften the tannins . The alcoholic fermentation lasts for 10 days and 50% of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrels. Finally, the wine ages 12-14 months in 60% new French oak before being bottled.

Whispering Angel is today’s worldwide reference for Provence rosé. Its pale color is pleasing to the eye and draws one in. The rewarding taste profile is full and lush while being bone dry with a smooth finish. Highly approachable and enjoyable with a broad range of cuisine, Whispering Angel is a premium rosé that you can drink from mid-day to midnight. Created by Sacha Lichine following his acquisition of Château d’Esclans in 2006, his vision was to create the greatest rosés in the world igniting the “Rosé Renaissance”. Sacha introduced new and innovative winemaking techniques to Provence which revolutionized the styles of rosés being produced from this region. This led to the creation of Whispering Angel, a world class rosé which presents both ease and accessibility making for enjoyment and pleasure.

In a nutshell:
Mature and complex Pauillac from the classified growth Chateau Clerc Milon, part of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild estates.

The lowdown:
Chateau Clerc Milon can trace its history back to before the Revolution and even as far ago as 1855 was deemed worthy of classification as a great Chateau. However during the mid twentieth century the estate had halved in size and had lost some of its reputation but was then bought by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of neighbouring Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (one of Clerc Milon’s other neighbours is the equally illustrious Chateau Lafite-Rothschild). The estate has undergone a massive transformation over the last few decades and has been brought back to its former glory, that the vineyards, the terroir demand.

Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is the estates second wine, with the 2010 being only the second release, and comes from those same vineyards made by the same team in the same winery. A blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, and Merlot, the wine is deep garnet in the glass. Aromas of dark fruits, cedar, touches of chocolate and dried flowers lead onto a smooth and complex medium-full body. Maturing nicely there are deep, developed dark fruit notes with savoury spice, drying tannins and balanced acidity followed by a long length.

When to drink:
Drink now through to 2030.

The best plots only and only the best grapes: this is how Chablis Saint Martin is made.

Terroir
The terroir of Chablis has both excellent acidity and remarkable finesse. Thanks to a long ageing on fine lees, Chablis Saint Martin offers the typical minerality of the best terroirs of this wine region.

Food pairing
Perfect as an aperitif or to pair with seafood, prawns or fish

Wonderfully youthful on the nose, the wine seems innocent, but attractive and compelling. Aromas of bright fruit leap from the glass, red berries in abundance. There is a lovely richness here, great structure and depth. Acidity is incredibly well interwoven with tannins to create a concentrated mouth-feel. It’s a really generous, yet fresh and juicy wine. It’s actually rather delicious, even at this young age and a wine which really ought to be considered strongly this year.

56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot

The 2011 Connetable Talbot 50cl : a red wine from Saint-Julien produced by Château Talbot based on petit verdot, merlot and cabernet sauvignon of 2011. According to Drinks&Co users, this red wine earns 4 out of 5 points.

Drouhin have vineyards that entitle them to make nearly every one of the 101 Burgundy appellations, which few other family-run quality negociants can boast. Their quality in each is the focal point of every element of the production of wines and, using only organic and bio-dynamic practices since the 1970s, they reach their own exacting standards vintage after vintage. This blend of some of the best villages in the Cote de Beaune is a delicious wine that shows why the village wines can achieve such attention and have such a wealth of historical respect. The wine is supple but structured and complex yet approachable and is a very fine example of ‘what all the fuss is about’ without having to break the bank. A fine introduction but a choice for the connoisseur.