Until 1997, Château Haut Brisson was an 8-hectare estate in the Vignonet section of Saint Emilion. New owner Peter Kwok was keen to expand its vineyards and the range of terroir, so began to buy up vine parcels to make it up to the 18 hectares it has today. Judging by today's scores and the quality of the wine, Kwok purchased wisely and quality has soared. Today it is under the ownership of Stephane Schinazi and continues its stellar projection, with Michel Rolland as consultant.
All its top grapes go into this wine (they no longer make La Réserve), ageing 30% of it in new French barriques, so as not to overwwhelm the fruit with oak notes. Now certified organic, with the aim of going biodynamic too, the 2020 is a magnificent wine.
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However, a down draught from the Andes and the Pacific’s Humboldt Current both help to moderate temperatures by day and ensure very cold nights.
In addition, the sunlight is exceptionally bright and snowmelt from the Andes provides all the irrigation water required.
Viña Falernia, one of only two wineries in the valley, was built in the late 1990s by Italian Giorgio Flessati and won a Trophy with its first vintage. Elqui produces “some particularly gutsy Syrah at altitudes of over 2,000 metres” (World Atlas of Wine), and the Carmenère is equally robust.
Deep bramble, cassis and spice character, it's great with lamb. Best decanted.
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Corbières is one of the best-known regions of southern France, adored for its characterful, robust reds, laced with dark fruit, wild herb and tobacco notes. This is a terrific find from the Terre d'Expression cellar in Fabrezan. It's a cooperative cellar, that works with its growers to gain exceptional quality grapes. All the fruit for Villa Pech Fourcat comes from a single estate in Boutenac, the only village in Corbières which may be named on the label.
Its wines are supreme thanks to very stony soils, hot dry summers and cooling winds. Vines for this red are, on average, 65 years old and very low yielding, which only adds to the power and intensity of this fabulous wine. For drinking now, open a couple of hours beforehand and decant.
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