Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
75cl * 13.5% ABV * Bordeaux, France
Maison Sichel is a grower, winemaker and négociant éleveur - to save you reaching for your French dictionary, that last one means 'a purchaser of wine for bottling under its own name'. Now I can't tell you exactly where Sichel source their Pauillac, but I can say that it comes from declassified fruit from the sub-region's First Growth châteaux... which basically means that the grapes, and part of the wine in this blend, quite possibly comes from Lafite-Rothschild, Latour or Mouton-Rothschild.
So, what is 'declassified fruit' you ask? Well, it, and the wines made from it, are from some of the most famous châteaux in Bordeaux. At this top level of winemaking, the winemaker will create the blend that will go on to be sold under the château's label (and priced accordingly) but there will be some barrels of juice that are just not needed in the blend, or in bumper years, too much juice is made and the château decides to keep its exclusivity and release only as much as the market dictates.
So, First Growth-level fruit for under £30 a bottle - an unbelievable steal at a fraction of the price of the château label! This wine can be drunk now, but it will also cellar well and reward you in a good few years time.
Tasting note
The deep red colour of this cuvée sets the tone for the tasting: elegance and intensity. Beneath an spicy layer (nutmeg and toasted bread), the equally elegant bouquet unveils sustained, overripe dark and red fruit scents and earthy aromas. After a chewy attack, the ample, rounded structure unfolds, culminating in a long balanced finish. A wine that reveals all the richness of this exceptional terroir.