2020 Cuve 8a
2020 Cuve 8a
!! LAST BOTTLES ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK !!
2020 is 'truly exceptional, highly unique and an utterly spectacular vintage’ wrote Colin Hay, and ranks amongst the best ever here at Canon Chaigneau!
Thierry Garnaud, winemaker at Cheval Blanc for 38 vintages, wanted to try his hand at something different. A pure expression of a unique terroir, but more modern, without oak, and available as an everyday drinker, without breaking the bank.
‘8a’ is the identity in our chai of the cuve in which this wine is lovingly crafted. Made from specific parcels of slightly younger vines, it’s vinified & matured solely in concrete, and can be enjoyed sooner than it’s ‘grand vin’ sibling. Not a second wine, but very much a different cuvée.
Tasting Notes:
Mellow, ripe and enveloping, with a fresh spine that gives the wine vigour and balance.
Wine Profile:
Fruitness: 4/5
(1 = Earthy, 5 = Fruity)
Body: 3/5
(1 = Light Body, 5 = Heavy Body)
Aroma:
Black Fruit
Coffee
Tapenade
Food Pairing:
Grilled Salmon with Red Wine and Shallot Glaze, Roasted Chicken with Herbs and Red Wine Jus, Ratatouille with Fresh Basil, Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce, Cheese and Charcuterie Board with Berry Compote
- ‘.. has more lift and certainly more complexity on the nose compared to the regular bottling. Slightly more tertiary in style, savory perhaps. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, black olive and tinged black fruit that define its saline finish. This is an excellent Lalande-de-Pomerol that is worth hunting down’
Neal Martin, 91
- ‘.. Full-bodied with light herbal notes, cool spices and a nice freshness. Aged exclusively on concrete and no barrels! Atypical but exciting right-bank expression more elegant with a nice long finish.’
Thomas Rydberg (Din Vinguide), 91
- ‘A medium-bodied red with ripe and mellow dark fruits, firm tannins and hints of dark spices and walnut. Fine tannins and polished texture. Chalky finish.‘
James Suckling, 91
- ‘A well-located estate on the plateau of Néac in Lalande. The previous owners sold mainly in bulk but under new owner Romik Arconian this is changing to 100% in bottle. You get the clear spice and chewy tannins of the Malbec, even with this tiny amount in the blend. Savoury spice on the finish also, and the tannins are rustic right now, although will smooth over ageing. Unoaked (aged in cement vats only, hence the name) - unusual in Lalande, gives an appealing, unfussy feel'
Jane Anson, 89
- ‘This is bigger and richer on the nose…– with a lovely half-roasted coffee bean element alongside the wild herbs, cracked black peppercorns, cassis, dark berry and stone fruit. It is deeper and glossier too, more opulent, more dense and compact… fine-grained tannins … impressive length and sense of focused precision…. saline-ferrous minerality… rapid progression in the precision of the wine-making and the quality of the tannin management.'
Colin Hay, 90-92+
Gold Medal Concours Terre de vins.
"Dive into Lalande-de-Pomerol’s exceptional 2020 vintage with our Cuve 8a. Made with younger vineyards and no oak, it’s a pure expression of the fruit and balance of a wonderful year."
A Unique Terroir
The Néac plateau. One of the finest wines of the appellation, and one of the best value wines in France - medium bodied, not over extracted, complex, suave & extremely drinkable, typically with notes of truffle, black fruits, spice and cacao.
A Legendary Winemaker
Thierry Garnaud was maître de chai at Cheval Blanc from 1988 – 2018, responsible for such 100 Point Legends as the 1990, '98, 2000, '03, '05, '06, '08, '10, '15 & 2016.
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