Château Citran 2024

Luminous ruby; still somewhat marked by oak, with dark fruit and vanilla notes; on the palate, noticeable extraction and an aromatic dip on the mid-palate; short, slightly drying finish.

Perfumed fragrance and aromatic intensity on the nose – baked blackcurrants and sour cherries. Softly chewy and bouncy, the tannins are nicely filling, and there’s a sense of cleanness, but the fruit is a little in the background right now and fades quite quickly, leaving cool freshness and some salty minerality, but not huge amounts of intensity or depth. Ends a little stalky.

Flint, tobacco, herbs, and currants come through in a vibrant, fresh style, with a refreshing touch of peppery mint on the finish. Drink from 2027-2037. 87-89 pts

The nose is fruity, with a lovely intensity marked by accuracy and fine grain, offering a certain delicacy within its relative power and fullness. It reveals notes of Boysenberry, violet and, more subtly, cherry blossom, joined by hints of fleshy bigarreau cherry, delicate touches of fairly ripe/crushed red berries, as well as fine nuances of lilac, racy minerality and a hint of graphene. The palate is beautifully guided, supple, precise and juicy. It offers a tangy backbone, minerality, accuracy, suppleness, a certain harmony and fine concentration. It also shows a taut tannic structure that is currently a little tight. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackcurrant and raspberry, and more subtly blueberry, combined with hints of lilac and juicy small red berries, along with touches of racy minerality, graphene, a hint of camphor and cocoa nib. There are also notes of chocolate. The tannins are plush and provide a lovely mid-palate. A subtle, almost varietal/understated floral note in the background.

Cranberry and redcurrant fruits, edges of orange peel and liquorice, unfussy but soft on the finish, struggles to build momentum. Merlaut family. 40hl/h yield, relatively generous yield for the vintage.