Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 2024

Deep, cool, subtle smoky note, black cherries, blackberries, plums, with floral overtones; elegant palate, firm and dense, gripping yet fine tannins, very good acidity, a finish of impressive length. Once again, very well balanced with the customary elegance.

Fresh flowers on the nose, cool and refreshing with blueberry scents too. Clean and softly grippy, tannins are fine and edged slightly with liquorice and wet stone putting the terroir into the glass. It's lacking a touch in density and more follow through but the fruit is clean and pure. Delicate and gentle. Balanced.

84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 35.45 hl/ha. Cask sample. Slightly reserved aromatically but with fruit and freshness on the palate. Well-honed tannins. Harmonious. Reflects the character of the vintage. (JL)

Espresso, flowers, chocolate, cherries, and licorice create the aromatic profile. Medium-bodied, soft, round, and vibrant, there is lift, as well as deep red fruits in the mid-palate, and in the almost creamy finish. The wine is produced from blending 84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2040. 91-93 pts

Grilled cedar and sandalwood oak is clear on the opening, along with touches of incense and rose petals, and there are some lovely deep raspberry and red cherry fruit notes, well balanced and sappy. No need to wait too long, good quality. A vintage where being present in the vineyard and making choices throughout was key, making François Despagne a winemaker to look towards.

Dark, intense, vibrant colour with garnet highlights. Highly aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Subtle. Delicate on the attack and particularly flavoursome on the mid-palate, the wine melts across the palate, juicy, then lifts again into a suave finish with a fine-grained texture. This is very good. A successful vintage, though 22% of the crop was discarded thanks to density-bath sorting. Blend: 75% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol: 13.3% natural – pH: 3.55. Yield: 34.45 hl/ha. Estimated production: 60,000 bottles.