An unusual blend for the Médoc of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine comes from a Rothschild vineyard next door to its Château Clarke. The wine is balanced, richly perfumed and spicy with swathes of black-currant fruit and ripe tannins. Developing slowly, the wine needs some time. Drink from 2023.

An unusual blend for the Médoc of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine comes from a Rothschild vineyard next door to its Château Clarke. The wine is balanced, richly perfumed and spicy with swathes of black-currant fruit and ripe tannins. Developing slowly, the wine needs some time. Drink from 2023.

This Baron Edmond de Rothschild property, like neighboring Chateau Clarke, has a lovely sense of muscle, with structural bones shining through at this stage of its evolution, as well as finely detailed flavors of mixed currants, black raspberries, and a distinct sense of minerality, all of it lifted on the finish with hints of sweet spice and laurel. Drink this now with air and on through 2029.

The 2015 Château Malmaison has a straightforward, red cherry and strawberry-scented bouquet with cassis developing in the glass. It comes across as a little smudged compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, crisp acidity and a pleasant salinity, the finish showing more pedigree than the aromatics at the moment. It should meliorate during élevage and evolve into a useful little Moulis.