Château Coufran 2024

Really quite ripe and heady aromatics – perfumed and rich with some caramel and toast nuances. Sour and sharp fruit joins quite cooling acidity and fleshy tannins to give a round mouthfeel but with slightly unbalanced flavours right now. A little dry and oaky on the finish. Ageing in tight grain French oak barrels for 12 months. Eric Boissenot consultant. Tasted twice. 100th anniversary vintage of the Miailhe family. A yield of 15hl/ha.

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Red-berry aromas, even a hint of damson. Palate lively and fresh with present fruit and no overt tension. Chalky texture to the finish. Structured. Should keep. (JL)

Juicy black cherries, currants, and a hint of cocoa pop on the nose, and on the lifted, medium-bodied, fresh palate, it finishes with savory herbs and dusty chalk. Drink from 2027–2037. 87–89 pts