2010 Caronne Sainte Gemme

Rather simple crimson. Easy and round but with an unappetising green streak. Quite dilute. (JR)

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% petit verdot, grown on deep gravelly soil close to Saint-Julien): Bright, medium red-ruby. Sexy aromas of cherry, currant, mocha, tobacco and smoky underbrush, with a peppery nuance emerging with air. Dark cherry, mineral and menthol flavors show good intensity, with sound vinosity leavening the wine's sweetness. Finishes with dusty but even tannins and good acid spine and length. This nicely intense midweight will probably be even more satisfying with a couple years of patience.

Supple tannins and attractive camphor, mulberry, black currant and dusty, earthy notes are present in this full-bodied, legitimate sleeper of the vintage. The purity, texture, pure charm and depth of this wine are impressive. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. This beauty from proprietor Francois Nony is a two-thirds blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot with a touch of Petit Verdot. A member of the Alliance des Cru Bourgeois du Medoc.