The California Wine Tasting Notes
CVBG WINE
CHATEAU BEL AIR GASSIES - BORDEAUX 2019
Composition
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France
Tasting Notes
Deep and bright in colour, with pleasant aromas of ripe red berries. On the palate it is smooth and silky with well-balanced tannins. The finish is long and lingering.
CHATEAU LES BELLES MURAILLES – BORDEAUX 2018
Composition
70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Malbec, 1.5% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
The wine at Chateau Les Belles Murailles, with its lovely dark red colour tinged with subtle terracotta shades, is concentrated and intense on the bouquet, revealing well-balanced oak and fruit. On the finish, the wine demonstrates impressively lingering aromatics and subtle, silky tannins.
CHATEAU PEY LA TOUR BORDEAUX ROUGE 2018
Composition
84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Lovely bright ruby red in appearance tinged with garnet. Intense on the nose, aromas of red fruits (raspberries and fresh blackberries) define the bouquet and leads into a crunchy, aromatic and rounded palate. A lovely, well-balanced wine that culminates in a refreshing and full-flavoured finish with notes of liquorice and spices.
CHATEAU PEY LA TOUR BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR 2017
Composition
88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Very concentrated, almost black in appearance. The intense bouquet delivers an explosion of black berry aromas, of primarily cherries and blackberries, together with a touch of spice. Full and generous on the palate, structured by delicate, silky tannins, coated in fresh, juicy fruit. The delicately integrated oak accompanies the full-flavoured, lingering finish of this superb, concentrated, fleshy and delicious Pey La Tour Reserve.
CHATEAU TEYSSIER MONTAGNE SAINT – EMILION 2015
Composition
86% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes
This wine is a powerful, plush St. Emilion displaying notes of ink, toasty oak, volcanic earth and hints of chocolate and coffee. Medium-bodied and deep with loads of color as well as fruit.
Acclaim
90 Points – Wine Enthusiast
CHATEAU REYSSON AOC HAUT – MEDOC 2016
Composition
87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Lovely deep garnet in colour. Highly expressive on the bouquet, offering appealing, complex aromas in a fusion of black cherries, blackberries and strawberries, together with a hint of spice. Full-bodied on the palate, and very generous, structured with well-coated tannins. The intense flavours are joined by lovely, well-integrated oak. The freshness present right through to the final note perfectly encapsulates the typical character of Merlot cultivated on Reysson’s clay-limestone soils.
CHATEAU RAHOUL ROUGE AOC GRAVES 2015
Composition
62% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Very dense, ruby-red appearance, offering a complex bouquet of fresh dark fruits and spice. Attractive, concentrated, silky tannins lend structure to the concentrated, fleshy palate, showing lovely expression of grape varieties in perfect harmony : lovely, concentrated flesh and dark fresh fruits from the clay-grown Merlot, lifted by impressive, cassis-laden Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, with their delicate tannins. The long, spicy finish completes this full and flavoursome wine.
DIANE DE BELGRAVE AOC HAUT-MEDOC 2015
Composition
18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 82% Merlot
Tasting Notes
Stunning ruby colour. Fresh aromas on the bouquet offer ripe fruits and distinctive oaky, peppery notes. Initially very round on the palate, the wine boasts appealing tannic structure. The fleshy palate reveals fruit, ripe tannins and soft, integrated oak in perfect balance, and culminates in a lovely, lengthy finish.
CHATEAU GRAND BARRAIL LAMARZELLE FIGEAC - MILLESIME 2015
Composition
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes
The intense ruby appearance is backed by a fruity, floral bouquet, defined by violet notes typical of Saint-Emilion. On the palate, the wine’s delicate, well-balanced structure reveals silky tannins and appealing length. This is a very attractive wine, concentrated, fresh and intense.
CHATEAU LE BOSCQ AOC SAINT-ESTEPHE 2015
Composition
48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47%Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Le Boscq 2015 is dense and concentrated in appearance. The intense, elegant and complex bouquet combines a wealth of fruit aromas with notes of cedar and precious woods. Immediately generous on the palate, with dark fruit aromas of wild blackberries, together with a hint of spice and cigar box. The wine gains in volume, while the silky tannins bring rich structure and lovely balance. Chateau Le Boscq’s rich terroir is once again revealed through the wine’s impressive harmony. Intense, lengthy finish.
CHATEAU LA GARDE AOC PESSAC LEOGNAN 2014
Composition
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Concentrated, deep ruby in appearance. The nose is intense and fresh, releasing a hint of smokiness typical of Pessac-Leognan. The fullness on the palate develops within a concentrated tannic structure. Toasty notes reflect perfectly integrated oak character while the palate culminates in an intense finish.
CHATEAU BELGRAVE AOC HAUT-MEDOC 2015
Composition
74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Lovely deep, concentrated appearance to this rich and complex wine. Elegant on the nose, where intense, dark berry fruit aromas intermingle with spice and liquorice. Initially delicate on the palate, gaining rapidly in intensity to reveal rich and flavoursome mouthfeel, underpinned by fine-grained, silky tannins. The wine culminates in a long, lingering and racy finish, defined by freshness and spice.
CLOS GRANGENEUVE, POMEROL 2016
Composition
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Malbec
Tasting Notes
The 2016 Clos Grangeneuve has a pleasant bouquet with clean black cherry and cranberry scents, the oak a little obvious at the moment, but that will be subsumed with time. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly raw tannin and it seems to lacks some freshness towards the austere, slightly dry finish.
GRAND VIN DE CHATEAU DE RICAUD 2016
Composition
78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes
Concentrated and very deep in colour. Produced from grapes grown on gravel soils overlying clay, the Cabernet Sauvignon which dominates the blend reveals intense and complex aromas of dark fruits adding complexity to a touch of violet. The wine is smooth on the palate and rapidly gains in body, underpinned by a backbone of densely-grained tannins of great finesse. The silky texture coats the palate, while the fruity and spicy notes converge in a perfectly balanced ensemble. The impressive length is further proof of great ageing potential.
