Clos les Lunelles Cotes de Castillon 2010

Licorice, truffle, jammy dark berries and chocolate open to a plush, polished, rich wine of pleasure. This will drink well young.

One of the bigger, more tannic and powerful wines of the vintage, although it is only 14.4% alcohol, which puts it well below some of the blockbusters in the Cotes de Castillon, this wine exhibits wonderfully pure black raspberry, black cherry and graphite notes intermixed with hints of cedar and licorice, in a medium to full-bodied, slightly softer and less extracted style than usual. This is another sleeper of the vintage that should drink nicely for up to a decade. The Perse family finally dropped the -Les- from the name of this estate, which should make it easier to remember. The 2010, a blend of 80% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, was produced from absurdly low yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare.

This has a lovely balance with dark fruits, cherries and fresh acidity. Full and refined, with lovely fruit. Lovely acidity.