Aged cheese in Bordeaux

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

Premier Grand Cru Classe B from the Saint-Emilion limestone plateau. Owned by the Wertheimer family (Chanel), Canon produces Merlot-dominant blends of great classical finesse and ageing capacity, with cedar, mint and graphite precision.

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 · Contemplative · Bold

Merlot-dominant Pomerol with an unusually significant proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon giving structured backbone. Rich and concentrated with cassis, graphite, and leather; requires a minimum of 8-12 years in good vintages.

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 · 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 · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Rustic

Lynch-Bages consistently overperforms its Fifth Growth classification. A richer, more extrovert Pauillac than the first-growths, with cassis generosity, smoky tobacco, and a robust structure that ages beautifully over 20-30 years.

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

One of Saint-Estephe's most consistent and value-oriented estates, Meyney produces full-bodied, tannic wines with a distinctive spice and dark berry character. Notable for its high Petit Verdot content (10%) contributing structure and aromatic complexity.

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 · 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.

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.

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

From Saint-Emilion's highest plateau (over 100m), Troplong Mondot produces Merlot-dominant blends of great richness and depth. Thick and concentrated without being heavy; dark plum, coffee and stone character with remarkable ageing potential.

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 · Medium tannin · High acidity · Rustic · Savoury

The benchmark Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel of Moulis: Cabernet-dominant with dark fruit, pencil lead and licorice, offering genuine structure and ageing potential well beyond its humble classification.

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 · 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 · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold

The great unclassified Médoc: Sociando-Mallet produces wines of classed-growth quality from Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, with muscular Cabernet-Merlot structure, minty cassis, and a distinctive saline minerality.

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.