Saint-Émilion
Cheval Blanc 99–100 Medium-deep colour. Intense dark plum, smoky bacon, chamomile, violet, potpourri aromas with sesame notes. Richly concentrated dark plum, smoky bacon, roasted chestnut flavours, superb mid palate density and fine slinky tannins. Builds up cedary and minerally. Marvellous complexity, volume and mineral length. One of the top wines of the vintage. 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Figeac 98–99 Deep crimson colour. Sesame, cedar, blackcurrant, dark plum, strawberry aromas with aniseed notes. Beautifully concentrated and supple wine with abundant blackcurrant, cedar flavours, lovely chocolaty cedary textures, superb fruit sweetness/density, and persistent mineral/saline acidity. Some bittersweet notes at the finish. Beautifully balanced wine. 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% alc Angelus 97–98+ Deep crimson colour. Intense lifted dark plum, blackcurrant, grilled nut, hint marzipan aromas. Generous, supple and sweet fruited with dense dark plum, cassis, mulberry fruits, fine loose-knit graphite tannins, lovely mid palate richness and fresh long mineral acidity. Finishes al dente firm with bittersweet chinotto cigar notes. Beautiful wine. 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. Mostly new oak, with some Cabernet Franc in large seasoned oak foudres. 14.5% alc Ausone 97–98+ Deep colour. Musky plum, panforte, marzipan roasted almond/hazelnut hint sesame aromas. Fresh generous sweet fruited wine with dense plum blackberry confit, panforte flavours and dense fine chocolaty tannins. Some cedar oak notes at the finish. Super concentrated but beautifully balanced wine. 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot. 15% alc Bélair-Monange 97–98 Deep crimson colour. Pure dark plum, blackberry pastille hint chalky aromas with espresso notes. Beautifully concentrated wine with pure cassis, dark plum, blackberry fruits, lovely inky density, fine supple tannins and perfectly balanced roasted chestnut, vanilla notes. Finishes cedar firm and minerally with bittersweet notes. 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc.
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The Vintage Journal – International Series
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