(2025) From a family property now in the hands of the fourth generation, this is 85% Merlot plus Cabernet Franc and comes from vineyards on sand, clay, limestone and gravel. Dark, meaty, plummy and spicy, it's a warming and wintery red, the fruitcake richness of the aromas leading through to the palate, where bold tannins and a grip of acidity are just softened by both its age at eight years old, and presumably some time in barrels. It's not hugely long, but it is authentic and tasty for sure.

(2023) It's well over a year since I last tasted an early bottling of this 80% Merlot Bordeaux which was aged in both clay amphora and different sized barrels. Then I scored it 89/100 and commented on its smooth and fruit driven character, edged with bloody and gamy notes and spicy black fruit. This bottle shows the gamy side a little more, hessian and dried fruit, and hinting at pencil shavings. In the mouth it remains creamy and juicy, a slick of cassis over resolving tannins and nice cherry acidity.  

(2016) Quite a deep silky, compact, but fruity nose, closely wound and tight aromas of black fruits and meatiness, but really quite closed.  A substantial wine on the palate, with a meaty weight of savoury fruit, tight tannins structure, perhaps needs a little time to just ease a little – very tight with chewy tannins.Give it a few years.

(2016) A little more perfume here than the 2011, some cherry skins and a plummy fruit again, but such a welterweight of tannin in the mouth at present, just loads of structure and grip, spicy, meaty, the grip of tannin and oak just a little too strident for enjoyment at this stage. Needs time for sure.

(2016) Not yet released, this barrel sample showed smokiness and a slightly raw oak character at this stage, a little resinous, but a seam of rich black fruit beneath and a definite sense of chocolaty density and richness. Real power and structure here, the meaty core of this is pretty massive – these are big, serious, very structured wines, but not over-extracted. Price shown for the 2012 vintage at time of review. Score is provisional.