Château Puygueraud Cotes de Francs 2018

Aromas of blackberries, dried lavender, black olives, tobacco, herbs and some smoked meat. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Layered and concentrated with a sleek, savory finish. 85% merlot, 12% cabernet franc and 3% malbec. Better from 2022.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Puygueraud features scents of warm blueberries, plum preserves and kirsch with touches of chocolate box and yeast extract. Full-bodied with a firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, it has loads of freshness lifting the densely packed layers of black fruit and finishes with great length. 90-92

Coming from the talented Thienpont team, the 2018 Château Puygueraud is a juicy, up-front, undeniably delicious 2018 offering lots of perfumed, floral, and violet notes, sumptuous blue fruits, medium-bodied richness, and a juicy, balanced, lengthy style that keeps you coming back to the glass. The balance is spot on, as is the purity of fruit, and it's ideal for enjoying any time over the coming decade. The blend is 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec.