$20/bottle under the original label
I tasted this wine last Fall in Amsterdam at a trade show and then again in Bordeaux last month. Both times I was blown away by the quality and value. The wine was scored 90-91 points out of the tank last summer by James Suckling and I can see why - its delicious already with silky tannins and plenty of energy.
And, while 2020 is considered a very successful vintage - the third in a series including 2018 and 2019 - the general consensus is that the best successes were from the clay and limestone soils of the Right Bank (better water retention for the relatively hot summer).
And, of course, Lot 297 was sourced from precisely those soils - a small family property on a 100M high clay and limestone slope just south of the Dordogne River.
A blend of 55% Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot (lots of color and depth here), Lot 297 is rich, ripe, expressive, open knit and juicy and will have broad appeal.
In the glass it offers offers a dense ruby color with purple reflections. The bouquet is fresh with fruit: strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, mingle with jammy blackberry aromas underlined by a discreet touch of violet. On the palate, the fresh attack gives way to what the French like to call an "ample and greedy structure" - I love that phrase. Think hedonistic but with plenty of energy. The finish is soft and fresh, with velvety tannins and excellent purity throughout. This wine will drink well in its youth and over the next decade.
55% Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot
