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An estate that's been in the hands of the same family for four generations. Winemaker Claire Laval is intent on preserving the terroir of her estate through meticulous care in the vineyard and winery. There's an excellent balance of fruit here, with a touch of woody tannins and a silken finish.

With its twenty hectares in one single plot in Fronsac, Château La Vieille Cure is one of the benchmark producers in the right bank of Bordeaux. The soil found in this site is heavy on limestone, lending a remarkably fresh quality on the palate.

Plummy purple in colour with aromas of ripe red and black fruit on the nose. On the palate it is silky and smooth with a hint of spice from the Cabernet grapes. Supple tannins are also present, but not overpowering.

Trois Fonds is one of four properties owned by Vignobles Deffarge and is the base of operations for the Valpromy-Deffarge family, who have been here for five generations. The property, which comprises 45 acres, is located near the northwest boundary of Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux, just a few miles from Entre-Deux-Mers.

Virginie de Valandraud Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2016 is the exceptional second wine of Château Valandraud, created in 1992 and named after the daughter of Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud.

Ripe black cherries, dried flowers, black olives and cloves on the nose. It is medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins and a juicy, flavorful finish.

The 19th century château overlooks 36 hectares of vines growing on a soil consisting of clay and limestone rock. This round, fruity wine has been carefully aged to reflect its intrinsic elegance, and is faithful to the heritage of Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

Very fresh with a deep red color, with a rich bouquet of red fruit flavors. Appreciable with grilled red meats, and will accompany cheese very well.

The 2012 is quite pale at the present time, with brilliant green highlights. The nose is well-defined and mineral. Still very young and quite elegant, this wine has yet to reveal its full complexity.

Almost entirely Merlot, this wine comes from a vineyard made up of 13 different parcels. Richness comes from the Merlot that dominates, offering generous black fruits, ripe tannins and finishing acidity.

Composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc coming mainly from clay soils on the plateau and aged for one year in oak, 65% new, the 2015 Clos du Clocher springs forth with profound notes of crushed blackberries, black cherries and blueberry compote plus touches of iron ore, bouquet garni, beef drippings and black soil.

Tasted at the château, the 2005 Chateau d’Yquem delivers a similar performance as last year. Lucid in colour, the bouquet is detailed with very pure honey, vanilla and almond scents, still a little new oak to be fully assimilated but demonstrating superb focus.

Great concentration and a previously unseen quantity of tannins characterized the wines, which possessed extraordinary aromatic intensity, freshness and precision.

The 2009 Haut-Brion is deep garnet colored and slightly closed and shy to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal sensuous notions of warm blackberries, plum preserves, mulberries and blackcurrant cordial with touches of star anise, mocha and damp soil.

This is a lovely estate, one of the last remaining properties in the Mérignac gravel area, lying next door to Haut Brion and Pape-Clément. The name Caillou refers to pebbles, reflecting the fact that this was once riverbed, when the river Garonne overflowed millions of years ago.