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.

Château Le Boscq features among the great classics of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. The first wine, Chateau le Boscq Cru Bourgeois, is a St-Estephe wine bursting with character, which elegantly combines the power of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, with the Merlot’s finesse, which is unusual for the appellation. Delicate and well-balanced, it has great ageing potential.

Incredibly deep, and still almost black in appearance. The intense and complex bouquet imparts lovely fruit intensity to notes of cedar, spice and precious wood. The wonderfully supple palate gradually gains in intensity. Densely-packed, silky and very fine-grained tannic structure underpins generous richness on the palate, and is coated with spice and ripe fruit flavours. Smooth and concentrated, the wine culminates in a notably long, lingering finish, characterised by freshness and spice.

• The second wine of Margaux’s second Grand Cru Classé
• The Ch. Lascombes team strives to continually improve the quality of this second wine, while respecting the tradition of a history and a glorious past.
• Director of the property: Dominique Befve (previously Ch. Lafite-Rothschild and L’Evangile)
• Restructuring of the vineyard in order to respect the diversity of soils and to express the quintessence of the terroir
• Cuvier at the forefront of technology to work by gravity and in parcel vinification

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.

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.

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.

The first few months of the year were characterised by high rainfall. Flowering went well, during an opportune, clement window of opportunity, confirming our initial hopes spurred by bud break in April. Fortunately, we avoided the hailstorms in May, which hit some of the vineyards on the right bank. Mild spring temperatures, coupled with high levels of humidity, placed us under serious pressure. The impending threat of mildew caused us to increase our vigilance in the vines. The return of very sunny weather gave hope to our teams, who had not relinquished their efforts to protect the vines, and adhering to environmentally- conscious protocols.

Hot and sunny, summer boosted ripening in the grapes. Significant water reserves accumulated at the start of the year protected the vines from excessive stress. We approached the relatively early harvests in a total state of calm, picking by hand and tailoring our schedules to individual rows. The grapes were exceptional in terms of ripeness and quality. We rolled out densimetric sorting across the vineyard, a practice introduced in 2016. This is followed by a final sort by hand to eliminate the last remaining MOG.

GRAPE VARIETIES

Merlot 65 %

Cabernet Franc 35 %

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.

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

Lovely yellow hue with golden tints. Clean on the nose, which opens with yellow fruit as well as citrus. Straightforward on entry to the palate, with lovely lively acidity. Beautiful balance between acidity and fruit.

This wine is perfect with cured meat as an aperitif, or enjoyed with a meal of seafood.