Second wine of the excellent Le Pin Beausoleil. Guide Hachette 1 star "raspberry, wild strawberry, blackcurrant and violet: here is a pretty spring bouquet. A few subtle menthol notes add a touch of freshness. On the palate, everything is silky and there is no trace of tannins. It is indeed the fruit that reigns here throwing the Little Sun."

The Guimberteau family has owned the Château Franc-Baudron estate since 1923. This is a vineyard on a human scale where each generation has left its footprint on the family heritage. Since 2010, the new generation of Château Franc-Baudron has embarked on an environmental approach by converting the entire vineyard to organic farming. The area hosts bee-hives, uses plants for treatments (horsetail, nettle and ferns) and seeds flowers to encourage biodiversity of wildlife in the vines. They have begun implementing new winemaking techniques by using minimal inputs to express at its best the nature of the grapes and the type of soil. Most of the family’s plots of Montagne Saint-Emilion are located on a clay-limestone plateau. Bright and intense in colour with aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and oak notes.Well balanced, powerful and velvety.

Full bodied, concentrated and with a lush character to the tannins, the fruit is ripe, sweet and fresh. There is a sweetness and purity to the dark red berries that tastes and feels great. On the palate, the blackberries, earth, licorice and spice continue the experience. Drink a bottle young for its youthful vibrancy and save the rest for at least a decade, which is when this beauty will just start to shine its lights brightly.

17/20 Jancis Robinson 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Includes the unclassified parcels of Angélus as well as those in St-Christophe-des-Bardes and in proximity to Figeac. First vintage from the new cellar in St-Magne-de-Castillon. Barrel sample. Seems to have stepped up a gear this year in terms of purity and precision. Dark fruit, spice and liquorice aroma and flavour but with a freshness that gives lift. Good depth of fruit, smooth texture and fine, long tannins. All with a restraining hand.

17/20 Jancis Robinson 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Includes the unclassified parcels of Angélus as well as those in St-Christophe-des-Bardes and in proximity to Figeac. First vintage from the new cellar in St-Magne-de-Castillon. Suave and concentrated with very fine tannins providing a textural plus and impressive length on the finish. Aromatically subdued, the oak (prise de bois) dominating at present. But serious and precise with a tannic frame for ageing.

97+/100 Wine Advocate "Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Smith Haut Lafitte charges out of the gate with bold expressions of warm redcurrants, baked blackberries and crème de cassis with hints of spice cake, dried roses, underbrush and pencil lead plus a waft of candied violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a fantastic core of densely packed red and black fruits, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed."

96/100 Wine Advocate "The 2019 Angélus bursts from the glass with a rich, dramatic nose of cherries, licorice, sweet spices and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, layered and vibrant, its broad and velvety attack segues into a layered, concentrated mid-palate that's underpinned by tangy acids and fine, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It's a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Its seamless, pure profile reflects the subtle shift chez Angélus away from the rich, toasty style of the 1990s and 2000s toward greater elegance and precision"

CWM Ranking - Starred First 60 % Merlot, 40 % Cabernet Franc. Expressive fruity and floral aromas, beautiful texture, fresh and elegant palate, superb purity and class. Not concentrated but very long and delicate. 3.47pH 14.15% Next to Pavie and Ausone - illustrious neighbours. Sleek, but structured. Clean, fresh red and blue fruit. Charming, pretty, and suave. Ample fruit but lovely acidity and soft tannins. Long and fine finish.

74% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark, intense nose, blackcurrants in black velvet. Blackberries and box leaf and some charred chocolate undertones. Dry, polished, disciplined tannins. Every flavour component is carried by and testament to balance of fruit concentration, tannic structure and freshness. Has a dark gleam and focus.

2nd Wine of Ch Laroque, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé. Made of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc from vines more than 50 years old, the medium to deep garnet-purple coloured 2019 Les Tours de Laroque opens with pretty raspberry coulis, black cherries and warm plums scents with underlying fungi, black loam and cracked pepper hints plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and fresh, with a firm line of grainy tannins, it delivers a graceful, earthy finish.

This Claret is fresh and balanced. The blend is Merlot-based and the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, giving a nice aroma of spice and wood smoke. The palate is fleshy with a hint of plum, the tannins fine and firm, leading to a generous finish. Drink now to 2036