Château Loudenne, Medoc 2016 MAGNUM

This is a delicious Bordeaux that punches well-above its appellation profile, as its reputation has proven. It occupies a great position in Ireland as one of the classic, consistent and high-quality wines backed up by history and provenance. This 2014 vintage is in excellent condition, from an excellent vintage and, as it has been bottled in magnum, it has aged at an even better rate. One for a very enjoyable occasion.

Aged for about 15 months in French medium-toasted French oak barrels from Bordeaux coopers, this wine shows powerful aromas of black fruits, toasted notes with and tobacco and notes of mint and elderberry. On the palate, the wine is almost full-bodied with a cracking structure, supportive tannins and a structure that shows how well it will age into the future.

Château Loudenne is situated in the very north of the Medoc and could almost, almost, be considered to be Saint Estèphe, but it is even further north than that. Sitting right on the river, it has its own private harbour (not that this helps the wines...) and has exceptionally deep, gravelly soils. Planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this estate covers a seriously impressive 132 hectares and the situation of the vines means that there is prevention of frost from the warm Gironde during Spring, and the cooling Atlantic that protects from heat spikes in the Summer, providing excellent long Autumn days for excellent harvests. It's not that different to any other part of Bordeaux in this components, but it is the balance of coolness, as in Saint Estèphe, that gives it that edgey, tannic structure for which it has become greatly loved.