2017 Roc de Cambes

Tasted blind. Deep ruby garnet. Has to be Roc de Cambes – highly distinctive barrel notes. Ripe, brambly fruit and rich damson notes. Ripe, rich and full. Sweet and seductive, full of clove and nutmeg. Powerful, with a range of bass notes and a very toasty finish for now. This is a wine for people who know and like the style – like me! (TP)

The 2017 Roc de Cambes is even better from bottle than it was from barrel. Rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous power the 2017 is positively stellar from the very first taste. Macerated dark cherries, sage, spice, star anise, orange zest, mint and new leather give the 2017 an exotic, racy feel that is hard to fully describe. In the glass, the 2017 possesses off the charts aromatic intensity and tons of pure fruit richness, while the 100% new oak is barely perceptible. Readers lucky enough to find it will enjoy a wine of tremendous character and personality. This is an absolutely stunning wine from Francois and Nina Mitjavile.

The 2017 Roc de Cambes has a vivid bouquet with ebullient redcurrant and cranberry fruit that "jump" out of the glass, yet the aromatics remain tender and graceful, to use two words uttered by François Mitjavile in describing the vintage. The palate is very well balanced with filigree tannins, dark berry fruit laced with clove and bay leaf, just a hint of tobacco on the aftertaste. Very fine and very classy.