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CHATEAU TERTRE DE LA MOULEYRE Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Château Lascombes was a small property by Bordeaux standards up until 1951, which then grew to beyond its means until the most recent ownership change which has seen better fruit selection and a creation of a second label to produce an estate wine of purity and concentrated flavours. Using the talents of Dr Alain Reynaud and Michel Rolland the wines continue to impress in recent years, namely this spectacular 2009 vintage which is proving to be one of the greatest vintages in the past 100. Even at this early stage the Lascombes looks superb with balance between power and opulence treading a near perfect line.

Château Pavie Decesse is a St. Emilion Grand Cru Classé property in the Côtes sub-district, considered the equal of its illustrious neighbour, Chateau Pavie. The origins of both can be traced back to ancient Roman times. The 3.5ha vineyard, on chalky, limestone and clay soils and contiguous with Pavie, is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Following cold maceration, the Chateau wine is vinified in temperature-controlled oak vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels. The wine is aged in 80% new oak for between 18 and 24 months, depending on vintage character. Production is small, around 650 dozen each year. The hedonistic Pavie Decesse style combines opulent, rich, sensuous textures with minerality, freshness and concentration. Due to its lush style Pavie Decesse drinks well young, yet does develop additional complexity with time in the cellar. Wine quality has been consistently excellent under the ownership, since 1997, of Gerard and Chantal Perse.

Château Trotte Vielle 1er grand cru classe (B), St-Emilion The name literally translates to ‘trotting old lady’ and origin of this name somewhat contested. Some say it is a reference to an 18th-century lady who ‘trotted’ about the village in search of gossip while the winery says they can produce written evidence of the name some few hundred years before that. We can concern ourselves less with the origins of the name and more on what to expect from the wine. The Left Bank winery has been owned by the négociant house Borie-Manoux (who also own Château Batailley in Pauillac and Château Beau Site in St-Estèphe) since 1949. Located east of St-Émilion, the walled vineyard is planted to (almost) half and half 95% Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with the former slight edging in the number of vines. The balance of the vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Form the 10-hectare walled vineyard, the grapes are harvested by hand, fermented in concrete vats before the wine is wine is matured in majority new oak, French of course.

Auguste Clape first came to Cornas in 1949 to marry his wife Henriette whose family owned 5 hectares of vineyards in the appellation. Today his son, Pierre-Marie and grandson Olivier Clape run the estate, which is considered to be the benchmark producer in the region. An