You would expect Château Cheval Blanc to have produced something impressive in 2015 – and it has. Finesse, elegance and balance are three principle characteristics of Cheval Blanc perhaps in any year but especially so in 2015. It has a prettiness which isn’t coquettish, a density which isn’t overblown and a delicacy that is enticing. There is length too. Despite the elegance the wine weighs in at 14 degrees. The harmony exhibited says a lot about the terroir, the approach but also the year. Like 2010, and to an extent 2011, the fruit in 2015 was the result of the seasons ‘cool’ maturity, ripening in a largely dry but not overly hot September. The resulting wine has beauty. It reminds me of a modern rendition of their 1985. The extent to which the vineyard was in harmony is indicated by the fact that the property produced no Petit Cheval [the second wine] this year. All but two vineyard plots made the final blend [39 plots] of the grand vin.

Château Angélus is surely one of the wines of the 2015 vintage. It combines beauty and lush extravagance with a degree of freshness which is wonderfully exciting. It was among the most attractive wines I tasted during primeurs week. It confirms the beauty of this vintage here in St Emilion at the top level. The fruit tones are delicious and the balance is there. The question is whether we will be able to afford the wine. Le Carillon d’Angélus is a little firmer [partly the extra Cabernet in the blend] but it is very good. St Emilion Grand Crus Château Daugay and Château Roc de Boisseaux, properties with connections to the de Boüard family, are forward, precocious and enjoyable. I’ll discuss their Lalande de Pomerol, La Fleur de Boüard in a separate post [it is yet another beauty].  

Vignobles Perse have produced a bevy of excellent St Emilions in 2015 culminating with an extremely powerful and wonderfully polished Château Pavie. It is exceptional. But the entire range here is extremely impressive this year. Château Monbousquet has concentration and lush fruit tones, Château Lusseau [close to Monbousquet and owned by Pavie’s technical director] is textured and complete. Château Pavie Decesse is full of flamboyant, glossy, textured fruit and has very considerable power. And Bellevue-Mondotte is a seductive beauty. There is plenty of weight and saturation across the range, but there is also a degree of freshness too and nothing tips the scales for me. These are extremely impressive wines.

It’s usually a treat in Jean-Luc Thunevin’s speakeasy cellars, a kind of laid-back hedonistic chaos in St Emilion’s backstreets. Not this year. I was late. My fault trying to cram in too many wines into a shorter schedule. And that evening Jean-Luc seemed in no mood for latecomers. So far, not so good. I quickly worked through the wines. They display his typical brilliance. Thunevin’s pulled a rabbit out of a hat in the last few vintages [including some of the very best 2013s] but give him an exciting year like 2015 on the right bank and he hits the ball out of the park. Château Valandraud is epic this year – it is a wine of extraordinary depth and richness. Do also check out his St Emilion Grand Crus Clos Badon and Château Le Bel Air Ouÿ – the former lush and concentrated, the latter fresh and bright.