Les Perrières Bordeaux Supérieur 2018

As ever it’s the architecture in the mouth with Perrières that is immediately arresting, marking it out with its chalky tannins, core of cold ash, gunsmoke, blond tobacco, blueberry and redcurrant fruits, a freshness that belies the heat of the vintage, and a salty scrape on the finish. It took five years of looking for the right site before the Guinaudeau family began to make Les Perrières, and even then it was bottled under the name Acte until they were sure it was working. The site here is 80m above sea level, close to Fronsac and around 1C cooler than in Pomerol. A wonderful wine, 50% new oak.