Organic and Biodynamic

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 aroams of blackcurrant, blackberry and oak notes.Well balanced, powerful and velvety.

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 colored 2016 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.

92-93 CWM rating. Extracted cherry fruit, very ripe aromas and flavours, good length, low acid but some subtlety. Very appealing. Persistent. Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard owns properties in Pomerol, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru and Pessac-Léognan, and we love them all for their exuberant pleasure-giving wines. In Pessac she operates Château Haut-Bergey, around 40 ha acquired in 1991, Her son Paul is now in charge.

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 2029

Americans Denise and Stephen Adams have owned this lovely property in Pomerol since 2007 and it still makes me smil when I think 'this chateau is owned by The Adams Family'. They also own Ch Fonplegade in Saint-Emilion, invest heavily in organic farming, excellent barrels and equipment and know how. The wine is quintessential Pomerol, heady and rich but lithe and fresh too. Ready to drink and will keep for the rest of the decade.