The Van Biljon boutique winery owned by Anton and Julia Van Biljon lies on a small farm situated in the Polkadraai Hills ward of the Stellenbosch region, neighbouring other highly esteemed producers such as Reyneke Wines, Raats Family Wines and De Toren Private Cellar. The region is well known for its deep, fertile and well drained decomposed granite soils and the moderating cool sea breezes that blow in off False Bay, lying directly to the South of the winery. Meticulous viticultural practices yield pristine grapes with intense colour, concentrated fruit flavours and firm structured tannins.
The wines have been produced by Bordeaux Blend specialist winemaker Chris Keet since 2011 and during my recent trip to the Cape, I popped in to taste and was treated to a rare bottle of the maiden vintage alongside the current release 2019. Also, knowing my intense fascination with the atypical, cool, 2021 vintage conditions, I managed to persuade Anton van Biljon to dig a bottle out of storage to let me get a sneak peek at what could be Chris’s most accomplished Van Biljon Cinq cuvee to date. With plenty of chatter on the wines of Stellenbosch and specifically the stand apart premium styling of Polkadraai Hills wines in particular, I perhaps made a sturdy case for Van Biljon to include this designation on their front or back label in future, as all five components of fruit are only sourced strictly from the Polkadraai Hills Ward.
With Chris Keet at the winery in July 2025.
As one of the few “single wine wineries” in the Cape, Van Biljon’s Cinq cuvee is definitely a wine classical Bordeaux lovers should seek out. Aside from its affordable pricing under £50 per bottle, the wine must also have one of the most consistent scoring track records in Stellenbosch, with the Cinq blend usually cracking the magical 95 point mark time and time again.
Van Biljon Cinq 2011 Cape Bordeaux Blend, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
The maiden 2011 Cinq is a blend of majority Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with supporting components of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine is incredibly pure and spicy with a mineral integrity, showing layers of dried herbs, thyme, mint leaf, and wet stone minerality over black berries, black cherry and black plum notes. The palate is unbelievably energetic and fresh, vibrant and supremely classy, ageing incredibly well from a vintage that was taut, linear and possibly slightly understated on release. Still showing impressive palate depth, power and stony mineral graphite tannins that are maturing and resolving beautifully, coming together to make a very impressive blend. Drink now to 2030+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Van Biljon Cinq 2019 Cape Bordeaux Blend, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
The 2019 is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. 2019 was a more mixed vintage, cooler than 2018 but quite a muscular vintage making picking dates and extraction timings very important. There is incredible power and broody depth with aromatics full of black berry fruits, damson plums, black currant, white pepper and delicate bay leaf and sage herbal spice notes. The palate is fabulously polished, piercing and structured with a stony tannin frame, classical styling, and a finish kissed with mint leaf and chocolate peppermint crisp nuances. Really majestically power packed, compact and distinguished! Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The micro Van Biljon Cinq production in the cellar.
Van Biljon Cinq 2021 Cape Bordeaux Blend, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
On the eve of the Van Biljon Cinq 2020 release, I sat down with winemaker Chris Keet and persuaded him to allow me to also taste a very early pre-release sample of the 2021 Cinq blend. In keeping with this cooler, slower ripening year, the aromatics show a delicately fragrant perfume of violets and rose petals, sweet cedar, black cherry, saline creme de cassis and a pronounced undertone of graphite and granitic minerality. The oaking is already very well integrated allowing the cool, taut, linear black berry fruits to shine through on the palate. Delicately stony, this 2021 shows all the classical restraint and structure you’d expect from this cooler, slower ripening vintage, with a sinewy mid-palate tension and a tightly wound weightless concentration that seems certain to flesh out further ahead of its official release in perhaps 2026 or 2027. The Cinq 2021 is a wonderful representation of this unique Polkadraai Hills Stellenbosch vintage and definitely one to watch out for in future. I look forward to tasting this wine again on its official release.
(Wine Safari Score: 94-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Van Biljon wines are imported into the UK by Woodwinters. Contact: andrew@woodwinters.com
The Glenelly Estate is a beautiful winery buried in a little corner of the Idas Valley in Stellenbosch. The property was famously bought in 2003 by Madame May de Lencquesaing of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande fame in Pauillac, Bordeaux, with a vision to transform the property into one of the preeminent fine wine producers in Stellenbosch. With vineyards planted on near virgin granitic rich soils, Glenelly Estate had the opportunity to map out a varietal path that completely suited the style of wines they were looking to make.
With May Lencquesaing celebrating her 100 birthday in 2025, I thought it would be a good time to pay another visit to the winery. With previous cellar master Luke O’Cuinneagain now settled in at Vergelegen Estate in the Helderberg after taking over from a retiring Andre van Rensberg, the mantle was passed to the talented winemaker Dirk van Zyl to pick up where Luke left off and take the Glenelly Estate into a new decade of premium wine production. Along with the below Lady May mini-vertical, Dirk also kindly let me taste through multiple barrels of the phenomenal quality 2025 vintage to plant the seed for the exciting wines to come.
Glenelly Estate Lady May Vertical: 2017 to 2021
Glenelly Estate Lady May 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The aromatics are incredibly pure and precise with finely integrated notes of herbal spice, graphite, black currant and hints of chocolate and spearmint complexity. The palate is tight and restrained, silky, focused and very tight grained, with incredible fruit concentration, a light touch mineral intensity and a notable harmony. An incredibly accomplished wine still in its shell, that’s hardly evolved in the past two years. One for the cellar!
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Tasting with Dirk van Zyl, Glenelly head winemaker and cellar master.
Glenelly Estate Lady May 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
“Simply the true essence of Bordeaux in a glass…”
A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot. Incredibly restrained aromatics with intense notes of graphite, cedar spice, delicate black currant, sweet black cherry, creme de cassis complexity. So incredibly fine grained texture, pin point focus with a fantastic mineral vein. Fabulous velvety tannins but held in place by a bright steely framing acidity. This is probably one of the most accomplished reds produced in the entire 2018 vintage.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Glenelly barrel maturation cellar.
Glenelly Estate Lady May 2019, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. This shows a more classical Stellenbosch feel with layers of black currant fruits, black fruit, tilled earth, sweet tannery leather and black tea. The palate is sleek, cool, focused, quite muscular but steely and stony, with a notable underlying power and intensity but with polished corners, a creamy velvety chalky tannin grip and a well integrated acid freshness. Tangy and bright on the finish, this is a beautifully focused wine that just needs a few more years in the cellar.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Glenelly Estate Lady May 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. From a relatively warm early vintage yielding ripe, accessible, forward wines that many winemakers feel has been forgotten as the covid year. An intricate wine that offers accessibility with structure, allowing the wine to age for many years. The aromatics are intense and fresh, loaded with creme de cassis, black cherry and blueberry hints, with dried mint leaves, baking herbs, and curry leaf spice complexity. The elegance is very clear and apparent, the silky finesse and accessibility complimented by effortless tannins. This should be good to drink on release but comfortably age worthy for 15-20+ years. (32,000 bottles produced.)
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Glenelly Estate Lady May 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Dense dark and opaque in the glass with incredibly potent and pure fruited aromatics of creme de cassis, saline black currant, cherry tobacco, grilled herbs and subtle vanilla pod spice nuances. The palate embraces power and density showing fine chalky tannins, a real black and blue fruited intensity with just the most classically restrained, harmonious and elegant finish. This is a phenomenal red wine that registers quality wise in the highest of echelons of Cape Bordeaux Blends.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Tasting the 2025 vintage barrels with cellar master Dirk van Zyl.
Six months on gross lees in stainless steel tank. Shows lovely clarity and purity, earthy waxy citrus, hints of lime peel, peach and grapefruit pulp. Delicious crystalline expression.
(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Glenelly Estate Chardonnay Reserve 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 12.5% Abv.
A portion of the wines was settled in tank but a portion went straight into barrel. 22% new French oak, on the lees in barrel for 10 months. 18% underwent malolactic fermentation. Shows a classy creamy lemon butter character, complex green herbs, fresh fennel, yellow grapefruit and tangy lemon cordial nuances. Very impressive purity and poise with a delightful kiss of passion fruit on the finish. Very nice.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Fermentation cellar at Glenelly
Glenelly Estate Chardonnay Reserve 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 13.1% Abv.
Six months in barrel of which 12% was new oak. Bottled beginning 2024. Aromaticly lifted with green dried baking herbs, sapidity and hints of white peach. The wine shows a fine texture and a light weight buttery citrus fruit character, with plenty of elegance and a long subtle finish. Fine boned but very classy.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Glenelly Estate Le Rose de May Rose 2025, WO Stellenbosch, 12.5% Abv.
Delightfully sappy and fragrant showing strawberry fruit notes with hints of red currant and red cherry fruits. The Syrah lends a linearity, focus and purity with a cool, polish finished. Lovely freshness and a finessed accessibility. Top drawer Rose.
(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The 2021 Lady May will be released in May 2026. The Glenelly wines are imported into the UK and distributed to trade by Seckford Agencies. Contact: pippa@seckfordagencies.co.uk
The Spanish territory of Catalonia is comprised of four provinces, namely Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Together, these provinces occupy over 30,000 square kilometres in the north-eastern corner of Spain (bordering France and Andorra) and are home to some seven and a half million people. Catalonia is one of a few regions in Spain, such as the Basque Country and Galicia, which has its own language apart from Castilian Spanish. Within Catalonia, you will find one of the most historic and elaborate histories of grape growing and winemaking that stretches back to Roman times and beyond.
While many international wine critics have visited the historical vineyards of Catalonia, especially its more famous wine regions of Priorat, Tarragona and Terra Alta, clustered west of the Catalan capital Barcelona, and Emporda and Alella further east, few of them tend to venture a mere 50km, just an hour and a half northwest up into the mountainous region near the city of Manresa, where you will find the small but increasingly influential Denominacion de Origen Protegida (DOP) of Pla de Bages.
The Exibis winery north east of Manresa.
One of the smallest DOPs in Spain, covering less than 500 hectares of vines (1,186 acres), it is also one of the newest denominacions having only acquired its official status in 1995. Consisting of only 16 wineries that produce just under 3,800 hectolitres of wine, you wouldn’t realise that this region used to be one of the most viticulturally significant areas of Spain in the pre-phylloxera 19th century when vineyards located in the valleys of the Llobregat and Cardener rivers and their weaving tributaries, numbered closer to 27,700 hectares in 1890. After being decimated by phylloxera which took hold in the Pla de Bages region in 1889, it would take almost a hundred years until the region properly resurrected its true winemaking heritage.
Today, 27 different municipalities are entitled to use the designation ‘DO Pla de Bages’ many of which encircle the city of Manresa. Splendid isolation is the word that comes to mind when you consider that this is one of Catalonia’s least densely populated regions. The climate in Pla de Bages is a mixture of Mediterranean and Continental influence with hot summers and cold winters as standard, with around 550 to 600mm of annual rainfall per year, something almost on par with Stellenbosch in South Africa.
Vineyards around the Exibis winery.
Vineyard locations, and the corresponding grape-growing conditions are defined by two distinct types of terroir – The central basin at an altitude of 200m, which has predominantly clay-based soils and is slightly warmer in the growing season, and then the Alt Bages (Upper Bages), which lies at over 500m above sea level and is generally the cooler part of the vineyards with a significant amount of lime in its soils that helps retain moisture during the hot summer months. Another key to high quality grape growing is the significant diurnal temperature variations that help both the red and white cultivars retain their all-important acidity levels while developing flavour complexity, with an annual average temperature of only 13C (maximum 35C and minimum -5C).
The dramatic mountains around DO Pla de Bages.
Having myself also only visited all the famous wine regions to the west of Catalonia, I recently decided to explore this intriguing region of DO Pla de Bages, arranging a visit to the Can Serra dels Exibis winery that I firmly believe is producing some of the most exciting wines in the DO at the moment. Quite fortuitously for me, the founder, co-owner and winemaker, Joan Soler, who is a qualified agronomist and oenologist, used to be the president of the Pla de Bages designation of origin. A man with many talents, superb English, and a never-ending energy, Joan somehow also enthusiastically manages to consult to a number of other local wineries and artisanal projects that produce a wide array of unique wines, more often than not, using indigenous local cultivars.
Sumoll vineyard near the Exibis winery with traditional training on a pole.
Exibis is located between Cardona, with its castle and the salt mountain (must be seen to be believed!); Montserrat, the mountain of spiritual and geological reference; and Sant Benet de Bages, which typifies the expansion of the vineyards through the monastic influence in the region. With the Pyrenees lurking ever presently on the horizon in the north and Barcelona just over one hour to the southeast, Exibis is perfectly situated within the DO.
Joan Soler showing me the latest Exibis vintages still in tank.
Located at 500 metres in altitude, the Exibis winery was started in 2009 and has thrived while Joan has attempted to resurrect the historical wine making practices of the past, which inevitably involved rediscovering lost or abandoned vineyards of indigenous varieties that were once cultivated so successfully by his ancestors, but which are now being improved with the use of modern organic and biodynamic agricultural principals.
Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard over 80+ years old that Joan uses for his Blunt Cuvee.
Speaking to Joan while wandering though his high-altitude vineyards, I loved how he expressed his winemaking philosophy so simply… “to make wines that represent our history as well as our future. But above all, they are the present.” With this sympathetic mindset, Exibis focuses on cultivating both local cultivars like indigenous white Picapoll, red Sumoll, Mandó and Garnacha Tinta, as well as accepted international cultivars like Cabernet Sauvignon, to make “wines that express their terroir as well as the variety, balanced and each with its own unique personality.”
One of the 14th century Tines fermentation tanks carved into a boulder that’s still being used today.
After visiting several of their replanted vineyards, we returned to the Can Serra dels Exibis winery, located on one of the oldest farmhouses in the municipality of Castelladral, thought to have been built in the High Middle Ages during the reconquest of central Catalonia in the 10th century. With the modest winemaking facilities housed in a simple but effect neighbouring modern warehouse, we proceeded to taste through a selection of young wines in tank before moving on to a full range tasting of current release bottled wines.
Joan pulling barrel samples from the barrel cellar.
“Sumoll is a bit like Nebbiolo, thin in the mouth but beautifully powerful and intense with a low pH, rustic but then emerges as a very friendly wine on the persistent finish.” ~ Joan Soler
“Our Mandó is fermented in amphorae and our Sumoll in open topped six-year-old 300 litre oak barrels, before being blended in tank. A wonderful marriage.”
Myself with Anthony Crameri, one of the winery’s export agents, alongside Exibis co-owner Joan Soler.
A Rough Guide to Recent DO Pla de Bages Vintages:
2018 – Rainy fresh vintage making wines with goodfinal ripeness.
2019 – Warm vintage but generally a good, regular year of high quality.
2020 – May / June / July moving to a drier harvest time. But a much cooler, wetter year than compared to nearby Bordeaux.
2021 – A cool, fresh, well-balanced year.
2022 – Hot and dry year making ripe, good quality wines.
2023 – A hot and even drier year than 2022 but still produced wines with good freshness thanks to good diurnal temperature fluctuations.
Exibis Valentina d’Exibis 2023, DO Pla de Bages, 13% Abv.
A blend of 80% Macabeo and 20% Picapoll with a 20% portion of the Macabeo barrel fermented, the rest stainless steel tank fermented before blending and bottling after a light bentonite fining. This shows a deep complex aromatics full of earthy root vegetables, children’s plasticine, dried fennel seeds, buttered white toast, and subtle kerosene and waxy nuances. On the palate the wine is delightfully bright and energetic, packed full of tangy acids, dried orange peel, wet straw, white peach and lemony citrus pastille that ties in nicely to the slight kerosene hints on the nose. Really a very characterful expression from its second vintage of production. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Cellers Underground Pura Vida 2023, Costers del Segre, 13% Abv.
A blend of 40% Garnacha Blanca, 40% Macabeo and a 20% barrel fermented Chardonnay portion. Displays deliciously enticing aromatics of lemon and herbs, melted butter on grilled sweetcorn, sweet green herbs, pear puree, lemon pastille and subtle notes of almond skins and marzipan. The entry is fleshy and vibrant, the acids energetic and fresh – a wine that really speaks to you of its terroir. There’s impressive breadth and palate depth, pithy phenolics but also a long finish of picante green apple and crunchy pear fruits. Really quite an accomplished white blend. Drink now and enjoy its evolution over 5 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Tasting the 2024 Les Tines from tank.
Exibis Les Tines 2023, DO Plages de Bages, 13.5% Abv.
All components are unoaked except for a 15% portion of the previous year’s 2022 cuvée that is blended back in after a further 12 months of ageing in used 300 litre French oak barrels. A blend of Mandó, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tinta and Sumoll, with 33% of the whole cuvee aged in sandstone hollowed ‘Tines’ tanks carved by locals in the 13th and 14th century. The blend reveals a deep rich expression of wet stone minerality, black berry fruits, sweet sappy oak, and a lactic blueberry complexity. On the palate, the acids are bright and pithy alongside saline, mineral black currant and pithy bramble berry fruits, kissed with a smoky, dusty mineral wet stone intensity. This is an energetic gourmet-friendly wine that is pithy and superbly bright, offering up an enjoyable energy in its youth. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Tasting the current vintages from bottle with Joan Soler.
Exibis La Rasa 2020, DO Pla de Bages, 15% Abv.
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sumoll and 10% Mandó. The blend is made, and the wine is aged for 12 months in 300 litre French oak barrels with a 10% to 15% new oak portion. The aromatics are wonderfully bold and intense, brazenly sweet fruited, showing raisined black cherry, black plum and opulent notes of mint chocolate pralines. The texture and mouthfeel are vibrant and invigorating, the acids tangy, nervy but deliciously vivacious. This is a beautifully complete wine, full of broody dark fruits, a vital freshness and pithy fine grained grippy tannins. Modern-styled and pure in essence but retains a hint of Pla de Bages mountain wildness to it. Undoubtedly a very fine wine with years of ageing ahead of it. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Vineyards around the Exibis winery.
Exibis La Rasa 2019, DO Pla de Bages, 15% Abv.
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sumoll and 10% Mandó. The blend is made, and the wine is aged for 12 months in 300 litre French oak barrels with a 10% to 15% new oak portion. From a more ‘normal’ vintage, you see that balance in the essence of the wine’s character. Cool, calm and collected. With an extra year of bottle age, the aromatics are similarly youthful to the 2020, tightly packed with stewed black plum, raisined black cherry, burnt brown sugar and hints of creme de cassis and blueberry fruit opulence. Cooler vintages seem more nervous, but this more temperate expression is relaxed, harmonious and superbly elegant, packed with a fruit density that’s very supple and fleshy. Beautifully intense, tangy and focused, this wine is pure class.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Exibus La Baula 2020, DO Pla de Bages, 13% Abv.
A blend of 66% Sumoll (a portion coming from almost 100-year-old vines) and 34% Mandó fermented in amphorae and the Sumoll fermented in open topped six-year-old 300L oak barrels, then blended in tank. This shares many similar traits with the La Rasa cuvée but shows an extra depth of perfumedaromatics, seamless black cherry confit, bramble berry and sweet grilled herbs. This wine is beautifully elegant and bright, revealing a very sophisticated demeanour. But it’s also a very complete wine, not only fresh and energetic but plush, fleshy and deliciously dense and black fruited, yet always fresh, vibrant and weightlessly concentrated. A more harmonious endeavour, this wine will surely be a big hit with collectors and quality minded connoisseurs. Drink now to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Blunt 2018, DO Pla de Bages, 14.5% Abv.
A cuvée Joan started while working in a commercial winery that produced 16 million bottles of wine, realising that there is a deeper meaning to fine wine – a philosophy inspired by a Japanese importer. A 90% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée with a 10% Sumoll portion, the wine is dense, black and opaque in the glass. The aromatics are beautifully layered with notes of sweet blackberry, salty black liquorice, tar, and baked plums with a vanilla pod spice dusting. On the palate, you experience a really plush, full-bodied wine that’s also incredibly easy to drink, with expressive hints of sweet damson plum, mulberry and wild strawberry and displaying sleek, fine grained creamy tannins that frame a wonderfully ripe, pure, harmonious mouthfeel. So balanced and complete, this is one of the most exotically seductive and alluring faces of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve ever experienced! Drink now to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Joan Soler, co-owner and winemaker at Exibis.The 500m altitude highland vineyards around Can Serra dels Exibis.
The Exibis wines are available ex-cellar. For more information on current vintages and pricing contact Anthony Crameri:
Stark Conde Wines was launched in Stellenbosch in 1998 by Hans and Midori Schroder with a focus on producing hand-crafted premium wines. Located in the picturesque and ever so dramatic Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch, it is a site with steep changes in vineyard elevation ranging from 150 to 600 metres making for a range of terroirs with distinct characteristics. At Stark-Conde they stick to traditional winemaking methods using open tank fermentation, meticulous sorting of grapes, hand-punch downs, basket pressing and maturation in small French oak barrels for 20 months. The wines are then bottled without fining or filtration.
While winemaker Rudger van Wyk has now moved on from Stark Conde in 2023, he was certainly instrumental in establishing the Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon wines of the Estate Blend, the Three Pines Single Vineyard Cabernet and the Oude Nektar Single Vineyard Cabernet as some of the most respected expressions of premium Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Stellenbosch. The Three Pines retails in the UK for £44.99pb.
Stark Conde Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
The aromatics are dark and broody with piercing notes of violets, saline black currant, piquant black cherries, black breakfast tea and subtle hints of brown toast and sweet cedar before iodine and graphite notions. The palate is dense and compact, offering a medium to full bodied mouthful with plenty of dry extract and juicy black berry fruit concentration on display. The tannins are fleshy and sweet but also finely textured adding real substance to the wine without detracting from its sumptuous elegance and harmonious balance. A very precise wine that will appeal to all avid premium Cabernet Sauvignon collectors. Drink now and over the next 10 to 12+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Stark Conde Wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.
The greatest traditional method sparkling wines from around the world have always held a special place close to my heart, and there are simply none better than the incredible method champenoise creations of Champagne. Since 2006, when I wrote my Master of Wine dissertation on sparkling wine, much has changed in the world of Champagne, with the era of premium “grower Champagnes” finally becoming a mainstream category around the world.
Not to be scoffed at, the great Grandes Marques of Champagne have done a wonderful job of building a strong regional brand message around the world over the past 150 years. But the moment for grower Champagnes has well and truly arrived with their intense terroir focus, attention to detail, and all-round unrivalled quality … and all at eminently affordable price points where most of the cost of the bottle is focused on the contents and not branded marketing.
I was first introduced to the exceptional wines of Petit & Bajan by London wine merchant Andrew Pavli several years ago, and in November 2024, I paid my first visit to the winery located in Avize, to explore the magic of their wider Champagne range. These are undoubtedly some of the most characterful and chiselled terroir driven Champagnes I have tasted in a very long time. So forget the Veuve Cliquots and Moet et Chandons, top boutique grower Champagne is where it’s all happening for connoisseurs and collectors alike.
Richard and Véronique Petit’s son Brice leading our tasting.
Champagne Petit & Bajan is the chiselled jewel of Richard and Véronique Petit. Together, they cultivate two of the greatest terroirs of Champagne: Avize and Verzenay, classified Grand Cru vineyards. After many tastings and deep reflection, at the end of 2008, the high potential of their own terroirs was turned into the reality that is now the Petit & Bajan brand. The richness of their heritage has shaped the entire range’s development. Every little detail counts … and that is how Richard and Véronique manage to access the pure, precise, and stylish quality that is to be found in the Champagnes of Petit & Bajan.
Champagne Petit & Bajan Nuit Blanche Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, 12% Abv.
This 100% Chardonnay cuvee was disgorged in October 2024 and is based on the 2019 vintage. The aromatics are intense and lifted full of saline sea breeze, preserved lemons, lime peel zest, lees and savoury biscuit notes. Full and focused with a chalky minerality, a racy freshy lemon and herb complexity and a compact creamy mousse on the finish. This is really quite superb.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Champagne Petit & Bajan Ambrosie Grand Cru, 12% Abv.
A 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir blend disgorged in September 2024 based on the 2019 vintage. The wine offers up a rich creamy aromatics with notes of crystallised citrus fruits, custard cream, dried herbs on freshly baked ciabatta, and subtle condensed milk nuances. The palate shows a solid core of lemon citrus and savoury yellow orchard fruits, a chalky spicy vinous depth, with a pithy fresh lemon pastille length and power and a long, salted brioche persistence on the finish.
(Wine Safar Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Champagne Petit & Bajan Obsidienne Brut Grand Cru, 12% Abv.
This cuvee with 3g/l RS is 100% Pinot Noir from the Grand Cru vineyards of Verzenay and Verzy, that was disgorged in October 2024. For the Obsidienne, the Pinot Noir is vinified like a Chardonnay, to reveal aromatics that are spicy and savoury, with apple blossom, struck limestone, flint and gunsmoke, before hints of lemon grass and savoury cured meat notions. Medium to full-bodied and generously plush with a beautifully creamy mid-palate mousse, great breadth and depth, tangy lemony acids, and a long red fruited savoury length. A very complete Champagne that is really quite impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Champagne Petit & Bajan Promise Brut Grand Cru, 12% Abv.
The seductive Promise cuvee is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir with a 4g/l RS dosage based around the 2019 vintage. Showing a beautifully floral white blossom nose with leafy waxy hints, lemon grass, savoury leesy hints with an earthy brioche undertone. Fabulously vibrant fresh acids on the palate combine with an elegant creamy mousse, notions of sherbet dusted lemon bon bons and an incredibly long, tangy finish. Impressive harmony and finesse.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Champagne Petit & Bajan Nymphea Brut Rose Grand Cru, 12% Abv.
A bold Rosé Brut offering from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir vinified as a still red wine from the warm 2020 vintage. The complex lifted aromatics show raspberry coulis, pithy wild strawberry, and subtle bramble berry hints. Beautifully full and plush on the palate, there is impressive fruit purity, elegance and incredible drinkability, nothing overblown or forced, making for a delightfully charming Rosé that’s seriously accessible. A real standout cuvee in the Petit & Bajan range.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Petit & Bajan Cueillètte Privée 2022 Grand Cru Pinot Noir, Côteaux Champenois, 12.5% Abv.
An accomplished 100% Pinot Noir Coteaux Champenoise Grand Cru made from Verzenay & Verzy fruit. Wild and savoury on the nose, the aromatics are packed with ripe bramble berries, damson plum, and wild strawberry with subtle hints of freshly tilled loamy soils, Italian mixed herbs, oregano and thyme, with just a faint complimentary wood spice. Plush, full, and opulent on the palate, there are red forest fruits and bramble berry notes dusted with cinnamon, clove and Xmas spices. Silky tannins, a cool creamy texture with lovely purity and length make for another serious offering.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Petit & Bajan wines are imported into the UK by Andrew Pavli at: http://www.Musigny.wine
There are very few moments of the year that are more suited to drinking fine Bordeaux reds than in the chilly winter months and for the past several decades, the big name, big ticket Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux reds from the Medoc have dominated the media column inches with their hundreds of years of history and famous Chateaux names used to seduce consumers. While the wines are often exceptional in quality, their big-ticket pricing when offered En-primeur through negociants have resulted in a large number of consumers being left behind with the wrong messaging. In reality, with the influence of longer and warmer summers in recent years, the true quality of affordable Bordeaux wine has never been better, and that’s before you encounter a winemaking genius like De Mour group winemaker, Jean Michel Garcion.
The De Schepper family now owns five wine estates in Bordeaux as well as the De Mour negociant firm that is tasked with distributing the wines, more often than not, direct to international merchants and retailers. In my experience of tasting and reviewing their wines for the past decade, this is a firm that prides itself on its values, based on human expertise passed down through generations, technical mastery of all stages in the winemaking process, as well as upmarket product ranges developed via exclusive partnerships. All of the family’s estates have obtained ISOO 14001 and HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certification and Jean Michel’s focus is firmly on maintaining a constantly high quality at all price points.
I recently selected four exciting wines from the De Mour portfolio which are not represented by other Bordeaux negociants, giving De Mour total control over their own pricing, distribution methods, and sales and marketing, offering real tangible benefits to a new generation of Bordeaux consumers. The family purchased their fifth estate in 2004, Chateau Lacombe Cadiot, a handsome Bordeaux Supérieur estate located in Ludon, increasing the total area under vines to 55 hectares. After recently updating the Fine Wine Safari vertical tasting notes on their superb flagship winery, Chateau La Croizille, situated between Chateaux Troplong Mondot and Tertre Roteboeuf, and bordering on their other Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé property, Chateau Tour Baladoz, I thought I would highlight some of the other exceptional wines in their range.
Chateau Tour Baladoz 2021 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 13.5% Abv.
I first tasted the 2021 Chateau Tour Baladoz at En-primeur time in 2022 as an unfinished barrel sample, and then again as a finished bottled wine, in September 2023 at the winery with winemaker Jean Michel Garcion. Revisiting the wine in September 2024, after another year in bottle, has benefitted the wine immeasurably. A classical right bank blend of 85% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc but with an exotic 5% sprinkling of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec, the aromatics reveal a sophisticated wine with an enticing heady perfume of pressed violets, moist tobacco leaf, blue and black berry fruits, gravel and graphite, and a piercing maritime crème de cassis intensity with a distinctive salted toffee and vanilla pod spice kiss from the 70% new French oak used for 15 months of maturation. On the palate, the wine has fleshed out and gained impressive weight since last tasted, coating the mouth with luxurious creamy fine-grained tannins, sweet black currant, black cherry, and mulberry fruits, finishing with a concentrated, hedonistic Merlot opulence. Once again, this wine shows that superior terroir combined with a striking winemaking prowess, can negate difficult vintage conditions. A very classy wine indeed, to drink on release until 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chateau Lacombe Cadiot
The Chateau Lacombe Cadiot 2020 is another impressive Bordeaux Supérieur made by Jean Michel Garcion and is sourced from a 15-hectare vineyard bringing together a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot from vines that are on average 25 years old and grown on classic loam and clay soils in Ludon-Médoc, just down the road from the famous Chateau Cantemerle Cru Classé Haut Medoc estate. The wine was matured for 12 months after fermentation, 60% in oak barrels including 25% new oak, and the remainder was aged in vats. This is certainly a wine with a pedigree, with the previous 2019 vintage scoring 97/100 in the Decanter World Wine Awards blind tastings as well as an admirable ‘sighted’ 94/100 on A Fine Wine Safari.
This is a striking wine that displays a dense, dark, opaque purple black colour in the glass. On the nose, this succulent Merlot laden blend offers up rich aromatics of perfumed violets, lilac, bay leaf spice, sweet blackberries, salted black liquorice and black cherry before notes of ripe black plums and freshly baked blueberry crumble. Medium to full bodied in the mouth, the palate revels in the creamy plushness and ample ripeness of the 2020 vintage, framed by a lively, accessible core of black currant fruits, black raspberries, and a sappy cinnamon spice on the finish. The tannins are sweet and rounded yet ever present, charming, and generous, adding a delicate frame to the expressive fruit concentration. A delightfully well-proportioned wine that showcases Jean Michel’s masterful winemaking experience that has, for a large part, been fine-tuned over many vintages in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Hence, the right bank similarities with this Médoc expression are no coincidence. Drink on release and over the next 5 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Nativus 2019, AOC Bordeaux, 15.5% Abv.
This 100% Merlot red boasts a rich, heady aromatics packed with lilac, Parma violets, savoury black currants, tobacco leaf, black breakfast tea, pink musk and hints of warm blueberry crumble. There are overt notions of rich sweet oak which is incredibly well integrated into the fabric of the wine, balanced by the plush, opulent black plum and black cherry fruit concentration. Full, broad, and fleshy, the mouthfeel is comfortingly dense and creamy, revealing sweet ripe tannins and a soft caressing low acid elegance. A powerful Bordeaux red expression that offers a plush, hedonistic fruit gravitas over structured minerality and classicism. Enjoy with a nice chunk of cote de boeuf for the full fireworks! From 2024 to 2030+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Lady de Mour 2022, AOC Margaux, 12.5% Abv.
The 2022 Lady de Mour is produced from premium grapes grown in Arsac in the Margaux appellation on gravelly sand and gravel clay soils. The vines are on average 22+ years of age and planted to mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. In the 2022 cuvee, the blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot that is aged for between 12 to 18 months in French oak barriques with normally a 30% new oak portion. The high-density plantings at 10,000 vines per hectare yield a wine that that is beautifully intense, floral, and perfumed, revealing notes of Parma violets, rose petals, black cherry pastille and pink musk over blue and black berry fruits, purple rock candy, and subtle notes of cherry cola. Regarded as one of the finest vintages on the left bank in almost a decade, this 2022 speaks confidently of Margaux’s textural complexity, weightless concentration, and supreme elegance, with a palate packed full of sweet crème de cassis, tart blueberries, and black cherries dusted with a salted caramel and vanilla pod spice. Undeniable seductive and fabulously harmonious, boasting an impressive fruit balance with the silkiest of tannins. This is undoubtably another masterclass in precision winemaking from Jean Michel Garcion. Drink now and over the next 6 to 8+ years.
Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines from the De Schepper family are available through their own in-house negociant, De Mour. Contact Anthony Crameri to find out more about all available labels, vintages, and ex-cellar pricing.
The Burlotto family winery was established in Verduno, one of the most historic communes in Barolo, 174 years ago and today the winery produces classical Barolos with one eye firmly on tradition and the other on modernity, focusing on making wines with a real soul and an incredible sense of place. It is undoubtedly this unwavering classicism, a resolute focus on premium quality and attention to detail that has helped elevate Burlotto into the ranks of one of the most sought-after cult Barolo producers, comfortably rubbing shoulders with other iconic names likes Bartolo Mascarello, Giacomo Conterno and Guisseppe Rinaldi – all of which are now desperately difficult to buy at first release prices.
After the death of their founder, Giovan Battista, the winery passed into the hands of his son Francesco, and then again, after Francesco died prematurely, to his grandson Ignazio. Courageous and far-sighted, Ignazio found himself alone at the helm of the company navigating through the most challenging periods of time during world war II. He was the only vintner of the region who continued to produce varietal Pelaverga wines, growing grapes on his own and buying small quantities from neighbouring farmers.
Ignazio Burlotto passed away in 1968, the year in which the winery passed to his daughter Marina, then only seventeen years of age. Marina, with her husband Giuseppe Alessandria, and their children Fabio and Cristina, represent the fourth and fifth generations at the helm of this historic company. With the 2020 Barolos due to arrive on the market soon, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have a closer look at the last three vintages of Burlotto’s Barolo ‘normale’ seeing as these are the wines people are most likely to have in their cellars rather than the super delicious – but super rare – Barolo Monvigliero cru.
Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo 2017, 14.5% Abv.
The 2017 is an elegant expression of Nebbiolo with fragrant aromatics of polished mahogany, sweet red cherry, black berry, tar, roses and aniseed root. The palate texture is elegant and silky with fine powdery dry tannins supporting a medium to light weighted palate density where the spicy tannins and peppery herbal notes dominate a delicately translucent red and black fruited concentration. Certainly a beautiful interpretation of Barolo from a so called ‘lesser’ vintage but perhaps lacks the opulence and intensity of a riper vintage like 2016 or the accessibility of 2018. Drink now or hold comfortably for another 5 to 8+ years. But best enjoy the 2017s while the fruit is still in its ascendancy.
(Wins Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo 2018, 14.5% Abv.
The 2018 Burlotto Barolo is not only a classical beauty, but at its core, it possesses a wonderfully sweet, fleshy elegance and a delicious accessibility with aromatics packed full of ripe red cherry, rose petals, orange peel and vermouth spices with a hint of candied cherry bon bons. On the palate, there is a softer, less tannic spiciness than the 2017 expression, accompanied by a sweet fruited fleshy core with a notable elegance and genteel silky opulence. Fabulous balance is the order of the day, and this is certainly a wine that is incredibly pleasurable to drink now and over the next 8 to 10+ years, so bury a few bottles away in your cellar.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Comm. G.B. Burlotto Barolo 2019, 14% Abv.
The 2019 Barolo is made from fruit sourced from a vineyard with southern exposures at lower elevations bordering on the famous Monvigliero cru. While still noticeably youthful and taut, the aromatics offer up perfumed notes of rose petals, vibrant red cherries, ruby grapefruit, iron filings and sweet cardamon pod herbal nuances. There is a fabulous translucent clarity and an orange peel-tinged fruit purity to the wine together with tight grained powdery tannins and a chalky drying mouthfeel. Never short of freshness, even in warmer, riper vintages, the balance and equilibrium on this wine is astonishing, with a tight knit core of Verduno fruit power expertly interwoven into a complex minerality and a weightless intensity. A reassuringly classical vintage that impresses with its structural precision and polish. Drink on release if you must, but the 2019 vintage will certainly benefit from further cellaring.
Holden Manz, based in Franschhoek have always made bold, opulent, hedonistic wine expressions, and in doing so, have cultivated a very loyal following around the world with wine lovers who like a little more meat on the bone. Winemaker Thierry Haberer may have deep Francafile roots but his wines are anything but lean, mineral and austere expressions, instead he embraces a pleasurable, accessible opulence allowing the wines just enough rein to point their noses towards a riper, bolder, more fruit forward style while simultaneously never losing sight of the terroir and minerality of the wines’ Cape wineland heritage.
Among the rather extensive Holden Manz range, it is probably the Big G Cabernet Sauvignon based red blend that has proved to be one of the estate’s most popular wines. Plush, dense and fruit forward, this is also a very serious wine for the money that certainly would not look out of place in a line-up of premium Napa Valley Meritage red blends.
Holden Manz Big G 2019, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.
3.2g/l RS | 4.9g/l TA | 3.77 pH
Always one of the estate’s most popular wines, the high anticipated Holden Manz Big G 2019 is finally release and boy what a cracker it is. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, which were all handpicked and hand sorted to select the very best fruit for this cuvee, before being fermented using natural wild yeasts with a 10% portion in new oak barrels. The aromatics are seductively dark and broody with layers of ripe black berry compote, damson plum, black currant, cedarwood and sweet Christmas spices. In the mouth, the wine is super plush, seductive, and wonderfully round, coating the palate with notes of hoisin plum sauce, sweet cherry tobacco, and exotic black and blueberry fruits, that are enveloped by the supplest of silky ripe tannins. Beautifully balanced and fresh yet delightfully intense and concentrated, this is a very voluptuous Cape Bordeaux Blend with focus, power and poise. I absolutely love it… as I’m sure all devoted Holden Manz fans will too. Drink now and over the next 8 to 10 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Holden Manz wines are available to trade from Vindependents and retail by the bottle from specialist merchant Museum Wines.
I first tasted some of the exceptional negociant-styled wines from South African merchant Wade Bales a few years ago when Cape Wine Master Wini Bowman introduced me to his notable white Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon Blend and his Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon, which was awarded a Platter 5 Star gong.
So, having a brief background on Wade’s wines, I was pleased to meet up with him again recently in London to taste two of his follow-up releases.
Wade has over two decades of experience criss-crossing the Cape winelands in search of the very best wines and having forged longstanding relationships with some of the Cape’s top wine estates and winemakers, Wade’s mission is to find great South Africa wines and bring them straight to his clients’ tables.
The list of participating wineries contributing to the Wade Bales Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon blend reads like a veritable who’s who of the Cape wine industry, assuring a very high level of quality every release. Ground breaking, innovative, and impressively well crafted, these are definitely fine wines worth seeking out if you’re a true Stellenbosch terroir lover.
Wade Bales Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
Classically powerful heady nose of pure Cabernet Sauvignon with all the telltale Stellenbosch notes of earthy black currant, black plum, dried violets, black tea, wet tobacco and classic freshly tilled earth nuances. Incredibly intense and focused on the palate, the 2019 is concentrated and piercing with a deliciously mouthwatering acidity and a deep broody earthy red and black berry fruited depth. The texture is intense, powerful but very fine grained and polished with sweet silky tannins and a really generous harmonious elegance. Creamy with a densely packed mid palate, the finish is long, pure and opulent. Plenty of underlying focus and power make for a very serious offering indeed! Drink on release and over the next 10-15+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Wade Bales Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
A full and generous aromatics show ripe red and black orchard fruit notes over sweet violets, peaty earth, cedar wood spice, wet tobacco and black currant nuances. Plummy and full on the entry, the palate is fleshy, full bodied, opulent and very fruit forward with sweet round tannins, tangy soft acids and a broad, sumptuous mouth-filling finish. Accessible and ready to go now, this should improve in bottle for a good 5 to 8+ years and drink well for over 15 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
For further information, contact Wade Bales on: wade@wadebales.co.za
Clos Cantenac is a three-hectare wine property on Bordeaux’s right bank with vines planted on a combination of deep gravel, sand, and clay over limestone soils. It is situated close to the pre-historic “Megalith de Pierrefitte” in the Saint Emilion wine appellation and was purchased in 2007 by Martin Krajewski, the previous owner of Chateau de Sours and more latterly, Chateau Seraphine in Pomerol. Both Clos Cantenac in St Emilion and Château Seraphine in Pomerol – the properties are barely 5 km away from each other – follow similar strategies in the vineyard and winery having reintroduced cover crops to the vineyards and using only sustainable products and viticultural practices in order to protect the vines and the vineyard environment. With this Petit Cantenac, you certainly get the same feel of care and precision that goes into the Clos Cantenac Grand Vin but with greater accessibility for earlier drinking.
2019 forms the middle of the trilogy of three very high-quality Bordeaux vintages in 2018, 2019 and 2020, but is also one which may well eventually trump both its siblings for sheer depth, ripeness and power one day. But as Martin Krajewski freely admits, “… in the 20 years I have been in Bordeaux, there has not been two identical vintages despite all of the technological advancements and the significant investments in new wineries. It is still a question of how man and the vines respond to the weather that determines the quality and quantity.”
However, whilst 2019 was a very good to excellent vintage, it wasn’t at all straightforward with heat waves, a drought, and a rainy finish in late September, but they also enjoyed a long, dry summer and harvest with just enough rain and none of the disasters like the late spring frost of 2017 or the mildew that some growers experienced in 2018. The growing season got off to a slow start with a cool May, but it then warmed up considerably for the start of flowering just as growers approached the first glorious weekend of June. Some vineyards flowered successfully over these few days but then with intermittent rain over the next week or so, it cooled down considerably with the result that many bunches had uneven fruit set, with ‘coulure’ and ‘millerandage’ which is unformed and variable or undersized berries respectively. The impact appeared very varied from one area to another with some vineyards completely unaffected, whilst others had uneven bunches from one row or even one plant to the next.
Once the flowering was out of the way, the fruit grew in fine weather, becoming hot and sunny from the end of the month and throughout a very warm July. Temperatures reached a stifling 40ºC on 23rd July and many of the vines shut down although thankfully, heavy rain then fell on the Friday 26th July but only lasted two days. The July heat wave did not impact the fruit negatively as the grapes had only just formed and were yet to change colour but then came more hot weather in the second half of August, which lasted well into September with the chillier nights and early mornings proving to be ideal for the healthy development of the fruit. The harvest at Clos Cantenac started on the 11th of September and only finished in early October.
One can conclude that the best recent Bordeaux vintages such as 2009, 2010 and 2016, also had just enough rain (but not too much), although 2019 also had a lot of rain early in the year as well as a wet spring, so the vines were better able to cope with the dry summer through to September, making for structured, ripe, powerful wines with plenty of concentration.
Petit Cantenac 2019, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, 14% Abv.
The 2019 Petit Cantenac is a classical right bank blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged in 20% new French oak and 80% 2nd and 3rd year oak for 12 months. Seductively deep coloured with a purple garnet core, the wine is beautifully expressive, boasting a lifted perfumed aromatics of violets and cherry blossoms over notes of black cherries, kirsch liquor, baked plums and black currants with subtle hints of graphite and vanilla pod oak spice. A wonderfully accessible and alluring wine, even in its youth, this classy 2019 vintage delivers multiple layers of plush, fleshy black berry fruited concentration that melts into crème de cassis, black raspberry compote, mocha, and subtle milk chocolate nuances. The tannins are mineral but tensile, emphasising the wine’s stony, gravelly spiciness, combining with soft, fresh acids that add harmony and balance to the fruit intensity. This may only be the second wine of Clos Cantenac, but it has all the composure and complexity of many far more ambitious Saint Emilion Grand Cru reds on the market. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines of Clos Cantenac and Petit Cantenac are available in the UK from specialist fine wine merchant Museum Wines for circa £59.99 and £40.99 per bottle.
