Château Montlandrie, Bordeaux Côtes de Castillon, 2016

Made by the highly-celebrated, late and great Denis Durantou from Château l'Eglise Clinet in Pomerol, this is a wine that is the result of a massive amount of research for the best possible sites in Bordeaux. The wine that they make here is an incredible replica of a Pomerol but with all the nuance and stylistic colouration that the Castillon region brings. 

Mature, dark berry fruits and lush spice form an utterly captivating generously perfumed nose that leads to a smooth, balanced and (now, after the ageing) really relaxed palate. This is in its full flush of development and will gracefully age to be softer still, with more tobacco and cedar notes as the years pass. Structurally wonderful and built to age as much as to enjoy in youth, this is a wine of serious quality that in this particular vintage release, is an absolute steal and a genuine rarity.

This comes from the wonderful right-bank vintage of 2016. Not much available, but it's also part of the mixed 6-pack of the Durantou estates, so you could get some there, too!

Castillon is to the south of Saint Emilion and much of the vineyard area is right on the Gironde itself, giving generous warmth throughout the growing season, but also allowing for an increase of vineyard maladies - like mildew and rot. This means that it's not been one of the more celebrated regions, but, since the climatic changes in the world in recent decades have increased the length of dry spells, the region has seen a growth in quality and popularity. This has undoubtedly been helped by a spike in the prices and demand in the more traditionally famous regions, but again, that's not really a problem, more a realisation of "other" within the Bordeaux family at large.

We've known and worked with Montlandrie for 11 vintages and love selling it as faux-Pomerol or ersatz-Saint Emilion Grand Cru, because it over-delivers for the Castillon region and yet is far less expensive than the prices of its more illustrious neighbours. Plus, it's been made by Durantou (until his death in 2020), meaning that those vintages that he made that are still left, are seriously, very fine.