The bounty of ProWein keeps pouring in...
Today I have a stunning vertical of nicely-aged Bordeaux reds direct from the Chateau's cellar with perfect provenance. The producer is nicely situated on the Left Bank in the Haut-Médoc region, backed by scores and medals that tell one half of the story.
Considering you'll know the source once the cork is pulled, there's no harm in telling you it's from the recently-elevated to Cru Bourgeois Supérieur-status property of Château Larose Perganson. We've got the exact same wine (purchased in shiners) under our label with by far the best prices available at $25/bottle!
This is a great opportunity to try one of each now with a healthy decant (still lots of youth in these bottles, and a bit of travel shock from just coming off the water) and lay the rest down to check in on over the coming years. All the wines are between 13.8% and 14% ABV and enjoy 30-50% new French oak and are typically comprised of 55-65% Cabernet Sauvignon and around 40% Merlot, often with a couple percent of Petite Verdot. This is classic, archetypal Haut-Medoc with no-expense-spared production.
My notes:
A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, the 2014 is beautifully perfumed with cassis berries, cherries, raspberry reduction, wonderfully terroir-driven pyrazine, and fresh-turned leaves. The entry is delicately-fruited but big on terroir; very French on the palate with a bit of red-to-blue fruit quickly moving to clay pot, new leather, and tobacco leaf through the back end, framed by excellent acidity, injected with small, perfectly integrated, grippy tannins. The finish is barrel-kissed with a touch of vanilla resonating with cassis and plum.
The 2014 boasts:
- 92-points Wine Enthusiast
- 91-points James Suckling
- 16/20 Jancis Robinson: Rather woody (not oaky) on the nose. Then unexpectedly rich and fruity on the palate. Generous and rounded and with good freshness. Stands out for greater density than most.
