Address: 1 rue 19 Mars, Bégadan 33340

Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 41 50 18

Website: www.domaines-lapalu.com

Reliable Médoc cru bourgeois near the village of Bégadan, Château Patache d’Aux in my experience is full and strong if lacking complexity. Not especially aromatic, they can take some age but generally best drunk younger when they have good grip and drive.

Vineyard/Terrior: 43 hectares of vines planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

Winemaking/Elévage: Traditional with twelve months spent in oak, one third new each year.

Tasting notes:

• 2013 Deep and saturated look; quite attractive aromatics; full; no trace of green fruit; full palate too with extract and material but no trace of dryness; sappy and well done. Some depth and ambition and delivers good vigorous Médoc style. Tasted Cru Bourgeois event at Chateau d’Arsac 3/4/14. Drink 2017-2025. 85-87
• 2012 Earthy; red fruits here and ripe Merlot influence; grippy palate with some angularity to the tannin. Cru Bourgeois tasting April 9, 2013. 85-87
• 2010 Deep and saturated in colour; ripe blackcurrants; some smoke and earth; some dust too; oak on the palate, density and chew; pretty good dense and chewy Medoc. Will come good. 85+/100 Tasted L’Alliance des Crus Bourgeois 5 April 2010
• 1996 mid depth; some core, earth red at edge; hangs in the glass; some stone and chalk on the nose with tobacco – a little dumb. Concentrated palate; chunky; lacking in finesse. Some smoky, earthy characters at the back. 85/100 May ‘05