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 the whole 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 Cru Bourgeois Supérieur property of Château Larose Perganson. This is classic Bordeaux. We've got the exact same juice (shiners) under our label with by far the best prices available, just over $21+/bottle!
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.
The 2015:
92-points James Suckling
92-points Wine Enthusiast: This wine is rich, smoky and packed with blackberry fruits. Its warm, ripe character contrasts with the juicy fruitiness and firm backdrop of tannins, giving a wine with potential. Drink from 2024.
90-points Jeb Dunnuck
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson: Very dark crimson. Luscious and round and fresh but with lots of ripe fruit. Silky Margaux-like texture. Creditable. Lip smacking and quite stony.
The 2018:
92-points James Suckling
91-points Decanter
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson
Long and short folks; this is a great, critically acclaimed vertical of juice, in-stock and ready to ship - just $129 for a 6-pack containing 2x bottles of each vintage .
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.
My notes:
Lot 358 | 2014 Haut-Médoc Bordeaux
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.
Lot 359 | 2015 Haut-Médoc Bordeaux
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot makes for a fun, earthy nose of the highest French caliber: turned soils, decaying leaves, and dark fruits accented by cola pinned underneath might be one of the better examples for American consumers what one means by terroir. Extending the strong sense of place to the palate, the entry is pure elegance with fresh-sliced peppers, red clay dust, forest floor, and accents of new, soft leather framed by deft acidity and perfectly integrated, polished tannins. The finish is long, yet continues the elegance throughout.
Lot 360 | 2018 Haut-Médoc Bordeaux
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot; the youngest of the bunch is at no loss for lack of age and missing no complexity. The opening is a bit more of a fruit-forward showcase in this vertical with dark cherries, raspberry coulis, and cassis berries accented by crushed violets. The entry is the juiciest of the bunch, but not juicy per se, red-to-blue/black fruit stands in front of new leather and dried herbs accented by medium acidity and plentiful, grippy medium-grained tannins. The finish is dry and long with resonant vanilla character and cassis umami.