2016 Chateau Cantenac Brown, Brio
Regular price £45.70 Save £-45.70Purchased by the Scottish painter, John Lewis Brown, at the beginning of the 19th Century, who added his name to the estate, and designed the Tudor-style mansion that graces the property today. A series of owners followed, and the estate suffered from a lack of investment, until 1989, when it was acquired by AXA Millésimes. Over the subsequent decade they worked tirelessly to improve the estate, and in 2006 the sold a greatly improved Cantenac-Brown to the Simon-Halabi family. Under this ownership the estate saw its three greatest vintages – 2009, 2010 and 2015 – before being sold once again in 2019.
TASTING NOTES
A blend of 49% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon & 11% Cabernet Franc, with a year in French oak barrels, 25% of which are new and 75% of them one-year-old barrels. The 2016 vintage captures the essence of a balanced vintage with enough flavour intensity while preserving the charming perfumed violet and rose notes. A full, velvety structure gives way to a long dark plum finish. A very precise and enjoyable Margaux that over-delivers for its value.
FOOD PAIRING
Roast quail with celeriac remoulade and pan-dried Jerusalem artichokes
FRIARWOOD SAYS
51% of the harvest was declassified for the second wine in 2016, with grapes that would usually be reserved for the Grand Vin adding to the depth and complexity of the Brio; this will be drinking well from 2021, and will continue to develop for a further decade.
2019 Domaine Nudant, Ladoix 1er Cru 'Les Buis'
Regular price £47.20 Save £-47.20ABOUT THE WINE
Winemakers in Burgundy since 1453, the current generation of the Nudant family manages some 16 hectares of small parcels dotted throughout the Cote d'Or. Vineyard work is all carried out by hand, in the spirit of minimal intervention. The 1er Cru vineyard called Les Buis recalls a sacred tree of the Druids which grew on the site.
TASTING NOTES
An impeccable vintage, 2019 Burgundies show opulent and exuberant red and dark fruits, with a balanced zingy acidity still in play. Ladoix, being a more elegant village, offers the best of both worlds by providing the quintessential savoury notes of mushrooms and forest floor. But this time, the ripeness of 2019 makes this wine extra attractive to sip, even by itself. One to drink now or to age for another decade.
FOOD PAIRING
Excellent with honey-roasted pork shoulder and braised root vegetables as well as a lamb leg bourguignon.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
An off-piste appellation which offers excellent value from some very impressive vineyard sites.
2014 Chateau Berliquet
Regular price £48.25 Save £-48.25ABOUT THE WINE
Berliquet is one of the oldest vineyards in Saint-Emilion, able to trace its history back to 1794. 9 hectares of vineyards are superbly sited on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, adjoining those of Chateau Canon and Chateau Magdelaine. Until 1978 Berliquet's wine was made by the local co-operative; since 1978 the wine has been vinified and matured at the chateau and the wines have improved significantly, earning promotion to Grand Cru Classe' in 1985. Typically a blend of 67% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.
TASTING NOTES
Red and black fruit, with notes of fruitcake and roasted herbs; medium-bodied and fairly easy-going. Fragrant and appetising.
FOOD PAIRING
Great with grilled steak, aubergine pasta or bacon tartlet.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Early-drinking Saint-Emilion, from a very reliable estate.