Château des Fougères, Clos Montesquieu La Raison, Graves, Bordeaux, France 2015

89
Tasted by: Amy Wislocki
(at Menier Penthouse, London SE1, 09 May 2023)
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2024
Hats off to Tesco – it's not easy to find claret with some age for under £20, especially on the high street, and the latest release of this regular on the Tesco shelves ticks many boxes. It's a Merlot-dominated blend from the Graves region, this time from the 2015 vintage, and it displays definite signs of evolution, from first pour. There's still plenty of dark curranty fruit, some stewed plums and black cherries. But you'll also be able to pick out a more savoury aspect to the wine, with cedar, tobacco, coffee, leather and sous bois notes a clue to the eight years of age. Medium-bodied, this should work well with food, and is a great intro to Bordeaux with a bit of age, approachable now and good for another year or so (not much longer than that). The winemaking is overseen by top Bordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt.
Château des Fougères, Clos Montesquieu La Raison, Graves, Bordeaux, France 2015
Producer
Château des Fougères
Brand
Clos Montesquieu La Raison
Vintage
2015
Wine Type
Still
Colour
Red
Country
France
Region
Appellation
Graves
Sweetness
Dry
Closure
Cork
Alcohol
13.50%
Body
Medium