Spring Clean Day One

A wine we've backed for years now, from a single vineyard in the Hautes Cotes. This shows good ripeness but yet still excellent intensity of fruit. There's a nice lift on the finish: a brilliant example from the Hautes-Cotes.

High on the slope and bordering Vosne, offering elements of the two communes. It’s incredibly mineral, as you’d expect from this poor soil. Limestone and gunflint, with crunchy red fruit and flowers, and loads of energy on the finish.

The 2021 Monts Luisants, from one of Morey's most celebrated vineyards, is lovely in 2021. Lots of whole bunch spice, and there's a fragrance and purity here, too. Very nicely balanced.

Tasted April 2022. Muscular and powerful with broad black fruits on the palate and a spiciness. Crunchier red fruits on the finish and some floral notes. A lot of Cabernet character and a classic tannin structure.

Tasted April 2022. Incredibly impressive, from a tiny plot mainly next to Troplong Mondot. Very cool and fresh, with crunchy red fruits on the finish. The core of the wine is full of dark cherry, black plum, and spicy notes like clove and licquorice. There's a chalkiness to the texture and a long, mineral finish. Truly breathtaking.

Tasted April 2022. Delicious and aromatic, this 2021 is full of soft red and black berry fruits, kirsch, mulberry and damson. Cashmere texture, fine, ripe tannins and bright acidity. There's great concentration here and a savoury, mineral finish. Fantastic value as ever. 13.5%.

Tasted April 2022. An unusual blend this year with 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is medium-bodied, full of fresh red berry fruit and crushed stone, mineral notes, petals and mint. There's some spicy, richer notes developing, and plenty of fresh acidity.

Tasted April 2022. This is the first vintage for Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse and it's a stellar effort and one of our favourite wines of the vintage. It's ripe but incredibly elegant with loads of crushed rock, mineral, almost salty elements to it. Slight herbal notes at the start and end on the palate but in good balance with the other ripe flavours, coming across as an almost minty freshness. Tiny volumes made, this is really one to watch.

Tasted April 2022. The best wine we've tasted from Berliquet, the 2021 is full of dark, brooding fruit. There's a powerful earthiness to the complexity in this wine, and plenty of chalky, cool freshness on the finish. Really well balanced, pure and concentrated.

Tasted April 2022. Branaire-Ducru remains a Lay & Wheeler favourite in 2021. Delicate savoury spice notes frame a core of dark berry fruit, and moderate acidity creates a beautiful fresh finish. Tannins are fine and ripe and add to the moreish, savoury style.

Tasted April 2022. Rich, powerful, and inky with concentration of blackberry, raspberry, pepper, and dark chocolate flavours. Spicy, clove notes from 50% new oak. There’s a real lift and elegance to this to carry that generosity, possibly from some careful use of whole bunch fermentation. It finishes long, with saline flavours balancing the richness of this seriously impressive Moulis.

Tasted April 2022. Soft plummy fruit and bramble notes. Generous and full on the palate, with moderate grip in the tannins and a lovely fresh red fruited finish.

Tasted April 2022. Very precise Cabernet nose with blackcurrant and bramble, with graphite and cedar. There's a lovely brightness to this wine, and rhubarb-like acidity. The core of the wine is ripe and deep, with a silkiness to the texture. There's a long mineral-laden finish. This is a class act, with concentration and freshness in harmony.

Tasted April 2022. Seamless and ethereal, the excellent terroir at Chateau Canon really shines in 2021. There's a fresh crushed rock, salty sensation running through the wine making it incredibly appetising, and precise, aromatic berry fruit in the core. A slow and steady fermentation this year has left the wine incredibly deep and complex, but weightless and elegant at the same time. 13.5%

A real Lay & Wheeler favourite, the 2021 from Caronne Ste Gemme is everything we want from everyday claret, and in this cooler vintage it's especially refreshing and appetising. Just down the road from St-Julien, it's full of fresh blackcurrant, bramble, gentle spice, and refined tannins.

Tasted April 2022. Rich, savoury and broad with inky dark fruits, juicy in style. There's fresh acidity and some hazlenut and gentle baking spice from the oak. The tannins are supple but fine and delineated, creating a mouth-coating, rich effect.

Tasted April 2022. Bold and structured, with the 25% Cabernet Sauvignon shining through in precise black berry fruits, graphite and grippy tannins. Deep, concentrated fruit flavours and layered with spicy, savoury notes.

Tasted April 2022. This seriously impressed with its pure Cabernet fruit, perfectly ripe blackcurrants, delicate spice and cedar. There's a herbal crunchy finish and wonderful elegance and finesse. Very pure and appetising, this is a fantastic buy in 2021. 13.1%.

Tasted April 2022. Good balance of ripe, dark fruit and sappier red fruits. Medium-bodied with fine tannins, it's a really charming, poised wine. There's a chalky texture and mineral flavours on the finish.

Tasted April 2022. A great Pomerol from Guillaume Thienpont. This has lovely floral notes and aromas of truffle. It's broad and expansive on the palate, almost velvety, but then has a slight chalky bite at the end and some saline, mineral notes. Really intense and delicious.

Tasted 2022. Yields reduced by 60% this year. Savoury, full of tension and a minerally lip-smacking quality. Fleshy red fruit and black berry fruit dominate the palate, with abundant fine tannins. Classic and elegant, with a lovely fresh finish.

Tasted April 2022. Rich and concentrated, with balanced fresh acidity and plenty of fine tannins framing the concentrated fruit. Delicate earthy spices on the nose and a slightly gamey note. 14%.

Tasted April 2022. Smoky and rich on the nose with tobacco, leather, licquorice and baking spices framing a core of ripe cherry, black plum fruit. The tannins are very fine and there's bright acidity in good balance. There's a lovely mineral, crunchy note on the finish making it very appetising.

The 2021 at La Conseillante is a continuation of a development in their style, the result in this cooler year is an ethereal, elegant and pure wine with velvety, aromatic berry fruits and subtle earthy complexity. Without doubt one of the most elegant Pomerol wines this year.

Tasted April 2022. Very intense black fruits, with a slight aromatic lift and savoury spice. The acidity is fantastically fresh, but balances so well with the pure, ripe fruit. There's complexity of crushed rock, mint and clove. This has density and concentration, but is perfectly poised. The tannins are ripe and there is a lovely saline, appetising quality to the finish, thanks to a higher than usual proportion of Cabernet Franc.

Tasted April 2022. Seriously impressive in 2021, La Garde has good concentration and a velvet, almost creamy texture. The flavours are full of bramble, blackcurrant, red plum and violets, and there's a developing silkiness to the tannins.

Tasted April 2022. Precise red and black berry fruit, overlaid with notes of truffle, dried mint, woody herbs, and petals. Fine grained tannins and fresh acidity. There's a tightness and delicacy to the palate now but tons of complexity waiting to unfurl.

Tasted April 2022. Dark plummy fruit mixed with brighter, crunchy raspberry on the palate. There's some firmness in the tannins now but they provide structure and will soften over time, framing the core of ripe fruit. Some lifted red cherry, floral notes. Acidity is bright and refreshing and the finish is savoury.

This Médoc is crafted by the team at Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, and beautifully displays the quality of the 2020 vintage with rich, plummy, cherry fruit. There are complex clove, cedar and woody herb aromas. It has a long savoury finish, with ripe tannins. It'll be great now with a range of dishes, in the ideal format for sharing, but will equally grow in complexity and savoury depth with some time in the cellar.

This Pauillac is produced by Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) using grapes collected from younger vines at Château Duhart Milon and Château Lafite Rothschild. The wines of the Lafite stable performed very well in 2020, with the Réserve Spéciale Pauillac being no exception. There's charming black fruits, with blackcurrant, a brambly character, and a precision consistent with its pedigree. The wine, though approachable now, should continue to drink nicely for years to come.

This Pauillac is produced by Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) using grapes collected from younger vines at Château Duhart Milon and Château Lafite Rothschild. From the fantastic 2019 vintage this is charming, elegant and full of dark berry fruit, black plum, hints of graphite and cedar. Drinking beautifully at this young age but it will also keep and provide fantastic drinking for years to come.

This Pauillac is produced by Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) using grapes collected from younger vines at Château Duhart Milon and Château Lafite Rothschild. The wines of the Lafite stable performed very well in 2020, with the Réserve Spéciale Pauillac being no exception. There's charming black fruits, with blackcurrant, a brambly character, and a precision consistent with its pedigree. The wine, though approachable now, should continue to drink nicely for years to come.

Crafted by the team at Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, this Médoc is subtle, charming, and refined with rich dark cherry fruit flavours and sweet liquorice spice. Densely packed tannins and a long savoury finish make this the perfect Bordeaux for the dinner table. And it’s in the perfect format to age and develop for years to come.

Tasted April 2022. Linear and precise with restrained blackberry, black cherry and graphite aromas. Medium bodied with a long, saline finish, this has a really mouth-watering, sapid quality. Crushed rock, petals and mint aromas create plenty of complexity but this is approachable and elegant first and foremost.

Tasted April 2022. Raspberries and blackberries, fresh and ripe, mingle with light floral notes and black pepper in this medium-bodied, fresh style of Larcis-Ducasse. The savoury, mineral, umami notes carry on through the long finish. Quite restrained at the moment, but with plenty of complexity developing already.

Precise core of ripe fruit with a plush, velvety texture. There's crisp, bright acidity and that, along with some fine, bold tannins, shows this has a long life ahead of it. A perennial bargain.

Made entirely from Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc this vintage, the 2021 Larrivet Haut-Brion is an absolute joy. Plums and blackberries mingle on the palate with delicate spicy notes and a distinct mineral finish. Cabernet Franc delivers its characteristic salinity here with an aromatic lift. Definitely a property to watch.

Tasted April 2022. Soft, ripe fruit with raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry. Slightly crunchier blueberry and raspberry on the finish. The tannins are silky and ripe, and the acidity is crisp but well balanced with the other elements of the wine.

Tasted April 2022. Deep, brooding and concentrated. Velvet texture and very fine tannins. The acidity is fresh but completely in balance with the depth of flavour in the wine. There are mineral, earthy, truffle notes developing and a long, persistent, moreish finish.

Tasted April 2022. Meticulous sorting during harvest and Carmes' unique position close to the warmth of Bordeaux city centre have resulted in a textural, soft-fruited wine in 2021. The team used slightly less of their characteristic whole-bunch fermentation technique this year but the wine is still full of beautiful lifted perfume, aromatic plums, hedgerow fruits and gentle spice. The dominant cabernet franc really comes into its own in this vintage, adding a silky coolness to the palate. It has a very mineral, almost chalky note, and a bright, crisp finish. 13.5%.

Tasted April 2022. Full of complex dark berry fruits and black plum with savoury hints and a spicy complexity. The tannins are broad and supple. Fresh acidity but in great balance with the savoury, complex style. Once again Les Cruzelles massively over delivers in value.

Tasted April 2022. Dark, juicy fruit in the core of the wine, with lots of spicy, savoury character too. Creamy on the mid-palate, and lovely balance with fresh acidity and a nice savoury, ripe feel to the tannins. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. St-Julien performed very well in 2021 and none more so than Léoville-Las-Cases. This wine has a pure, ripe core of brambly, black fruit and the tannins are very fine and ripe too. The acidity is very bright and refreshing and there's a lovely juiciness to the fruit. The finish is long and has a cooling herbal quality.

Tasted April 2022. Full of dense blackcurrant and brighter bramble and raspberry, with a deep, savoury, almost soy complexity. This is medium-bodied and charming, very fruit-forward and juicy but there's fresh acid and silky tannins providing structure and contributing to the appetising nature of this wine. Definitely one to watch.

Tasted April 2022. Full of perfume, energy and juicy black fruits. Velvety texture and plenty of ethereal, cooling, savoury Cabernet Franc character sending you back for another sip. The acidity is fresh and clean and the finish is seriously long. 13.1%.

Bright, expressive and perfumed with precise dark berry fruit, black plum, dark chocolate, and savoury spice. More lifted floral notes and sappier fruit character create a refreshing feel on the palate. Well balanced, with fresh acidity cutting through concentrated fruit flavours, and an appetising spicy note on the finish.

Produced from miniscule yields of just 9.6hl/ha, with 20% of a normal harvest, the 2018 Château Marsau is a real rarity. But the wine is absolutely stunning. The nose is pure and focussed, with red berries and wild flowers flowing from the glass, while the palate has sumptuous, silky tannins, a core of fruit, and a long, mineral finish. This wouldn’t look out of place in the heart of Pomerol, with the elegance and refinement we’ve come to expect from some of the greatest names there: an extraordinary Marsau.

Tasted April 2022. Another great performance from this St Estephe property on the rise. Full of precise, concentrated red berries on the nose, there’s some floral lift too. Baking spice, cedar, mint and saline notes build complexity and make for a lovely, long, fresh finish sending you back for another sip.

Tasted April 2022. Montaiguillon’s 2021 is another example of what incredible value this property represents. Situated in an elevated spot right on the border of St Emilion, the terroir is exceptional. This year the wine has concentrated blackberry, cassis and spiced plum fruit, but a distinct fresh red fruit character as well, giving amazing freshness. There are developing savoury, graphite, earthy notes beneath which will develop and integrate with age. This is a fantastic, balanced, classic Bordeaux for every occasion.

Tasted April 2022. The vineyards at Montlandrie are all on south facing slopes, with plenty of ventilation to protect the vines. The 2021 is full of ripe black fruit flavours, with a lovely gravelly texture and mineral freshness. There's some nice, earthy, savoury spice underneath and a seam of fresh acidity. It finishes long and mineral, seriously appetising.14%.

Tasted April 2022. Incredibly concentrated and tightly coiled, with pure fruit character and classic Bordeaux structure. Tannins are very fine, no doubt down to the careful use of large oak foudres to soften and integrate, and there's plenty of crisp refreshing acidity. The fruit flavours are bright and fresh with red berries, some deeper, dark berry fruit, and some herbal notes. There are already beautiful cedar, graphite, smoky flavours developing. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. Concentrated and powerful, but still showing the characteristic freshness of the vintage. There's a mixture of ripe black fruit and crunchier red fruits, with a juiciness on the palate which broadens out into a long finish. The structural elements of the wine are tightly wound, but this has the potential to be fantastic with time in bottle. Tannins are ripe and bold at present. There's some lighter, herbal character and aromatics from 30% Cabernet Franc in the blend. 14%.

Tasted April 2022. Seriously concentrated with tightly-packed black cherry and blueberry fruit. As the palate develops more mineral, saline notes emerge and rise to a long fresh finish. Broad and slightly creamy texture with grippy tannins. Really impressive.

Tasted April 2022. Peymouton in 2021 shows a good level of ripeness with fresh, sappy red berries and some darker, more brooding fruit underneath. The structure is firm at this early stage, with lots of fine tannins and fresh acidity. The whole palate is tightly wound, ready to age gracefully in bottle.

Tasted April 2022. Peymouton in 2021 shows a good level of ripeness with fresh, sappy red berries and some darker, more brooding fruit underneath. The structure is firm at this early stage, with lots of fine tannins and fresh acidity. The whole palate is tightly wound, ready to age gracefully in bottle.

Tasted April 2022. Full of fresh, crunchy blackberry, cranberry and blueberry fruit with medium body and fresh raspberry acidity. This vintage from Château Robin is balanced and approachable, with savoury tannins and a lovely salinity on the finish making it even more appetising.

Tasted April 2022. Red cherry and raspberry fruit mix with black plum and cherry with good concentration on the palate. There are more delicate savoury spice, smoke and truffle notes developing. Fresh, crunchy red fruits on the finish with bright acidity and a fine, long finish.

Tasted April 2022. Linear, pure and rich with bright fresh acidity and some freshness from redcurrant flavours. The tannins are long, soft and slightly stony in character adding some mineral element to the palate. This is tight and intense now, but has the structure and concentration to age beautifully. 13.5%

Tasted April 2022. The 2021 Tertre de la Mouleyre is very fine, with pretty, bright fruits and floral notes. It's very elegant, and has plenty of depth to the dark fruit flavours. The texture is silky and there's an appetising, crushed rock sensation on the finish. Another brilliant vintage from a true gem of St-Emilion.

Tasted April 2022. An incredible shift has taken place at Troplong-Mondot in the past few years, with the new management seeking fresher, elegant, more appetising wines. The 2021 is a triumph, with dense black fruit and crunchier red fruit flavours, and a savoury, herbal lift from Cabernet Franc. For the first time since 1999 it comes in under 14% alcohol. This balance and elegance carries the wine through to a long, savoury finish. 13.5%.

Tasted April 2022. Chateau de Ferrand used more Cabernet Franc than ever before in 2021, and the result is a lively aromatic wine with black and blueberry fruit along with leafy complexity and a limestone-y, mineral finish. The wine is fresh and balanced and there is already a silkiness to the texture of the tannins. This is a property on the rise.

Tasted April 2022. Rich, ripe, heady and mouth-coating, with pure cassis fruit and black plum. The tannins are incredibly fine and silky, but dense now, and the spicy, complex flavours are broad across the palate. Hints of hazlenut and vanilla in the background but overwhelmingly driven by ripe fruit and the silky texture of the wine.

Clos Hedone was founded by friends Arnaud and Christophe, who both hold down day jobs in St-Emilion and Pomerol as well as this 1.8ha project in the St Christophe des Bardes area of St-Emilion. 2020 is their second vintage, and it's got a beautiful red cherry freshness, with darker plum on the palate and a lifted violet note. Silky in texture with savoury, mineral hints.

This has all the constituent parts to soar after sevearl years of slumber in the bottle. It's deep, powerful and intense, showing its breeding just below the Clos du Roi in Corton. It has nice, silky tannins with good depth and energy, and reasonable freshness. It just needs some time to come together.