A blend of 78% Sangiovese, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, this is classic blend for Tignanello and a wine that has managed the warmth of the vintage well. There are subtle spiced notes of cinnamon, sandalwood and incense that mingle with the floral notes of dried rose petal and violets. The fruit is vibrant and well defined with wild cherry, plum and wild herbs. It is fresh but also fleshy through the mid-palate with tannins that glide through the fruit.

This year a blend of 35% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, the wine was aged 45% in new oak, 45% one year old, and the remainder in amphora. It is a wine with well defined aromatics of violets, nutmeg and cedar spice. There is dark cherry fruit etched with chiselled and supple tannins. There is freshness and focus through the wine with a lovely lift of dried herbs on the finish. A real success for the appellation.

The Palmer 2024 has an expressive and vibrant nose of dark cherry, crushed rocks, cedar and a little nutmeg. A really complete and harmonious wine it is caressing, sappy, detailed - growing in tension and drama. There is charm here but also plenty of seriousness and detail. It feels deftly sculpted with a fine mineral inflection and cocoa dust note on the finish.

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is only ever made in the great vintages, and always with the great man’s personal preference in mind: a robust and full-bodied Champagne that develops incredible depth with age. The exact blend, as ever, is a closely guarded secret, but Pinot plays a starring role. The Pinot dominance gives structure, depth, and breadth to the wine, whilst Chardonnay gives a mineral, vibrant, savoury top note and a fresh thread of acidity. All the fruit comes from grand cru vineyards which were already under vine in Churchill’s lifetime. 2018 was a warm year, yet the wine displays deceptively high acidity, making it approachable and refreshing. Fresh and linear on the nose with subtle hints of pineapple and pastry. There’s a wonderful lacy texture to the fruit on the palate, coupled with Pol’s trademark fine, elegant mousse. This is vibrant and open, with layers of red berry fruit, culminating in a very mineral and persistent finish with just a hint of jasmine.

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is only ever made in the great vintages, and always with the great man’s personal preference in mind: a robust and full-bodied Champagne that develops incredible depth with age. The exact blend, as ever, is a closely guarded secret, but Pinot plays a starring role. The Pinot dominance gives structure, depth, and breadth to the wine, whilst Chardonnay gives a mineral, vibrant, savoury top note and a fresh thread of acidity. All the fruit comes from grand cru vineyards which were already under vine in Churchill’s lifetime. 2018 was a warm year, yet the wine displays deceptively high acidity, making it approachable and refreshing. Fresh and linear on the nose with subtle hints of pineapple and pastry. There’s a wonderful lacy texture to the fruit on the palate, coupled with Pol’s trademark fine, elegant mousse. This is vibrant and open, with layers of red berry fruit, culminating in a very mineral and persistent finish with just a hint of jasmine.

Pavie is made from 28 different parcels which are vinified separately. Oak in recent years has been toned down with the 2024 vintage seeing around 60-65% new wood. It feels quite classical this year offering a restrained nose of sandalwood, violets with a saline feel that fans across the palate. Super tension to the wine, there are inflections of oyster shell, kelp iris and a lot of detail. There is a sinewy and sapid feel with plenty of flesh around the frame.

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot. This is a Las Cases with real restraint and rather inward looking for the moment. It has a gravelly core, with hints of spice, cocoa, five spice, and some violet notes. This reminds me a bit of the 2014 – this is zipped up but shows a sense of purity and a lot of detail and definition. Tense and with no excess, it is classical in frame and energy. The tannins are supple and coiled with a lift of iris, violets and soy on the finish.