Wine of the Month - December 2019

Christmas is the season of food and wine with family.  The larger the family, the more diverse the taste in wine.  We selected 4 different styles for you to please the crowd.  From a well-aged 10 year old Pomerol to a fresh and fruity young Haut-Médoc owned by two heirs of the Hermès fortune, you will see this selection well-suited for any palate your family may present.

This month's selection:

• 1 x Château Larrivet Haut-Brion 2015, Pessac-Léognan, 91 pts
• 1 x La Dame de Montrose 2015, Saint-Estèphe, 90 pts
• 1 x Château Fourcas Hosten 2016, Listrac, Haut-Médoc, 92 pts
• 1 x Château Petit Village 2010, Pomerol, 92 pts

Tasting Notes

Château Larrivet Haut-Brion 2015 - "The 2015 Larrivet Haut Brion might be overlooked against some startling other 2015s with "Haut Brion" in their name, which would be wholly unfair because this is a potentially great wine. It has an outgoing bouquet with plenty of bright and bushy tailed red fruit that is well defined and very nicely focused. The new oak is carefully used here and gives it real lift. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, fleshy in the mouth with crisp acidity and a nicely composed, lightly spiced finish. This is an excellent Pessac-Léognon and it will hopefully will be well priced." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2016, Issue 224), Ratings: 91, Drink: 2021-2045

La Dame de Montrose 2015 - "The 2015 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot that was picked between 15 September and 8 October. It has a perfumed, floral and pure bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and violets, all with commendable delineation for a deuxième vin. The palate is well balanced with a more sumptuous texture compared to its fellow Saint Estèphes, thanks to that lush Merlot that forms the core of this wine. It has commendable energy and feels approachable, therefore with 3-4 years in bottle, you should have yourself a fine if not exceptional La Dame de Montrose." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/27/2016, Issue 224), Ratings: 88-90, Drink: 2019-2032

Château Fourcas Hosten 2016 - "An estate on the up since the Mommeja brothers took over, this is tightly drawn and austere now.  But the elements are all in place; good dark fruits, fresh acidity and rich, well integrated tannins, good potential." - Jane Anson, Decanter (June 2017), Rating: 92, Drink: 2025 - 2038

Château Petit Village 2010 - "The finest wine from this estate since their glorious 1982, the 2010 Petit Village possesses aromas of licorice, black cherries, cassis, truffles and oak. Powerful and deep with a corpulent texture, a silky mouthfeel and a wonderful lushness, it will be drinkable in 2-3 years and last for 15 or more." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate, (5/11/2011, Issue 194), Rating: 90-92, Drink: 2013-2028