Chateau du Courneau 2018

"Château Bernateau is a beautiful estate spreading over 18 acres benefiting from an incredible soil made of clay and limestone hilldsides and limestone plateau. This rare terroir is planted of 72% of Merlot, 25% of Cabernet and 3% of Petit Verdot. The LAVAU family runs the estate since 8 generations now and make a complex, racy Saint-Emilion Grand Cru." —winemaker

Blend: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot

"L'Ancien comes from Jean Paul's oldest vines--hence the name of the wine--in his home village of Charnay in the southern Beaujolais. They range in age from 40 to 60 years old and are planted on slopes sporting the area's signature sandy clay-limestone soils, featuring the particular local "dorée" or "golden" limestone that is laden with iron. These older vines have always been farmed organically and harvested by hand and yield small, thick-skinned Gamay berries. As for all Terres Dorées reds, the vinification is traditional Burgundian. The grapes are rigorously sorted and destemmed, crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats. The wine is aged in concrete until May-June after the vintage." —winemaker

"Pale and vibrant in color. The Pascal Jolivet Sancerre is fresh, clean and screaming with racy acidity. On the palate it is fresh and tightly wound; acidity is tempered by very subtle residual sugar; very clean; alive, racy, youthful. Overall, a dry and elegant wine." —winemaker

"Deep ruby core with vivid ruby rim. The nose is very fine and multi-layered, with rich strawberry jam aromas, herbal notes, and fresh scents of cedarwood. There is also a discrete dimension, a luxurious redolence of leather and mocha coffee. In contrast, and in keeping with the Taylor house style, the palate has an attractive edge of austerity with taut tannins providing a firm grip to the long finish which delivers a surge of rich berry fruit flavor. A beautifully refined wine, poised and complete, displaying a complexity comparable with that of a mature classic vintage port. A beautiful expression of the 2018 vintage with its accent on elegance and finesse." —winemaker