Gift in Bordeaux

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Bold

Not a second wine but a distinct cuvée emphasising freshness and fruit intensity over the grand vin's power: Margaux character with more immediate expression, distinguished by its energy and precision.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Bold

The prestige selection of Chateau de la Riviere, sourced exclusively from the estate's oldest Merlot vines in a single 1.5-hectare plot and aged entirely in new French oak. Produced only in the best vintages; a luxury expression of Fronsac terroir.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Elegant

Merlot and Cabernet Franc from 27 classified hectares at the foot of Saint-Emilion's slope. Generous, opulent and structured, with dark cherry, violets and cedar complexity; certified organic from the 2021 vintage.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

From just 7 hectares of steep limestone slopes, Ausone is a wine of concentration, precision and mineral tension. Cabernet Franc dominates, giving iron-rich structure, dried-flower fragrance and an extraordinary seamless finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cabernet Franc-dominant Saint-Emilion of breathtaking silkiness: violets and graphite on the nose, an opulent yet precise palate of black cherry and tobacco, seamless tannin structure and a finish of uncommon length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant

The most distinctive of the Saint-Estephe grands crus classés, with an unmistakable oriental spice and incense aromatic signature absent in Pauillac wines. Merlot-rich for Saint-Estephe, delivering seductive suppleness alongside the appellation's characteristic mineral-tannic power.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The most Cabernet-dominant Right Bank premier cru in Bordeaux: near-equal thirds of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classe A in 2022. Combines peony and iris fragrance with electric energy, grainy Cabernet tannin and remarkable mineral length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Merlot-led first-growth Pessac-Leognan red combining cassis and graphite with earthy tobacco and cedar. Velvety tannins and exceptional length set it apart from Medoc peers.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

One of the world's rarest and most sought-after dry whites, Haut-Brion Blanc blends Semillon richness with Sauvignon Blanc precision. White peach, orange blossom, and mineral salinity build to a honeyed, lingering finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

La Mission Haut-Brion combines the gravel terroir of Talence with intense, brooding dark fruit. Blackberry, scorched earth, and graphite underpin a structured, powerful palate with velvety tannins and a finish that rivals the great first growths.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The archetype of Pauillac first-growth: Cabernet-dominant, with penetrating lead pencil and cassis aromatics, precise fine-grained tannins, and a finish that evolves over decades.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Unique Pomerol with an equal Cabernet Franc-Merlot split giving a perfumed floral lift and structural precision rarely seen in the appellation. Biodynamic farming since 2014; produced from just 4.5 hectares on the Pomerol plateau.

Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold

The most structured and austere of the Pauillac first-growths. The L'Enclos parcel of old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon delivers extraordinary concentration and mineral tension; legendary longevity requires patience of decades.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative

The most opulent of the Pauillac first-growths; Mouton Rothschild emphasises blackcurrant concentration, dark chocolate, and an extrovert aromatic generosity that sets it apart from the pencil-mineral restraint of Lafite and Latour.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative

From 42 hectares at Saint-Emilion's highest point (110m), Pavie delivers concentrated, structured Merlot-dominant blends with extraordinary mineral depth. Pairs elegance with considerable power; requires minimum 15 years to fully integrate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Known for its silky texture and unusually high 32% Merlot for a Left Bank estate, Pichon Lalande bridges the power of Pauillac with a suppleness and perfume reminiscent of Margaux. Louis Roederer ownership since 2006 has brought further precision.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative

The leading biodynamic estate in Bordeaux and the only Fifth Growth that regularly receives 100-point scores. Demeter-certified since 2014; unique use of amphorae alongside barrique ageing. The wines combine Pauillac's classical structure with a biodynamic freshness and earth energy not found elsewhere in the Medoc.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

One of the most consistent Premier Cru Classe Sauternes, with Rieussec's distinctive high Semillon content yielding a wine of great concentration and rich tropical fruit. Honey-drenched pineapple, orange, mango, and caramel with vibrant acidity and a very long finish.

Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The world's most celebrated botrytised sweet wine; the sole Premier Cru Superieur in the 1855 Sauternes classification. Semillon-dominant with intense noble-rot character: beeswax, saffron, apricot, and honey balanced by electric acidity. Ages for decades and improves for 50 or more years in great vintages.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Archetype of refined Saint-Julien: cassis and dark cherry on a bed of Gunzian gravel minerality, with perfectly integrated silky tannins and an exceptionally lengthy finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Timeless Saint-Julien classic: a Cabernet-dominant blend with classic Médoc pencil shavings, licorice and cassis, built for patience with rich powdery tannins.

Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Romantic

The most perfumed of the Médoc first growths: haunting floral aromatics of roses and violets above a core of concentrated cassis, extraordinary saline minerality, and tannins demanding decades of patience.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Classified Third Growth performing at first-growth level: extraordinary richness from an unusually high Merlot proportion, with Thomas Duroux's biodynamic conversion delivering added aromatic complexity and freshness.

Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

One of the great super-seconds of Bordeaux: extraordinarily concentrated cassis fruit with almost first-growth precision, dense tannins demanding patient cellaring of 15 or more years.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

100% Cabernet Franc from two old-vine parcels aged 65-100 years at the pied de cote. Produced in tiny quantities (5-9 barriques) only in exceptional vintages, this is a monument to the iron-mineral potential of old Cabernet Franc on Saint-Emilion limestone.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Micro-estate garagiste Pomerol with supremely hedonistic Merlot character: mocha-laced plum and violet aromatics, a voluptuous, fleshy palate, and remarkable concentration from just 400-600 cases per year.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

A rare Sauvignon Blanc white Bordeaux of extraordinary mineral precision: gunsmoke, slate and saline drive a taut citrus frame that ages beautifully over a decade or more.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Romantic

Exquisite second wine of the most famous first growth, sharing the same subtle power and floral finesse as the grand vin while offering earlier accessibility.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

100% Merlot from 11.4 ha of blue clay at Pomerol's centre. Silk-and-velvet texture with truffle, chocolate, and dark cherry at its core; structurally imposing yet hedonistic, with a finish that stretches for minutes.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Pomerol's most Cabernet-Franc-inflected grand vin: 30% Cabernet Franc gives an aromatic lift and structural precision that sets VCC apart from Merlot-dominant peers. Sensuous and silky in great vintages, with decades of ageing potential.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The singular dry white wine of Chateau d'Yquem, made only in years when the estate decides against a botrytised grand vin or in addition to it. Sauvignon Blanc-dominant, barrel-fermented in 50% new oak, offering honeyed citrus, white peach, and mineral depth unique to the Sauternes terroir.