2015 La Dauphine

Certified AB and Ecocert organic. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. First year of organic certification. Hand-picked, 30-day maceration and fermentation in tanks. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels, 25% new. Purple accents lingering in the ruby colour. Cherry and box-hedge aromas, some smoky dry tea leaf. Close-grained tannins fitting the restrained, tiny-blackcurrant fruit like a well-tailored suit. Compact, tiny stitches, perfectly parallel. Fragrant floral detail tucked into dark fruit. Opens up very slowly in the glass – if you're drinking it now, decant for at least an hour or two. GV (TC)

The 2015 La Dauphine is potent, but also remains relatively light on its feet next to other Fronsacs in this vintage. Inky red/purplish fruit, floral notes and spice are among the signatures. Sweet floral notes and silky, polished tannins add to an impression of finesse. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Tasted two times.

Made up of 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 de la Dauphine has a nose of warm plums, mulberries and fragrant earth with wafts of charcoal and fruitcake. Medium to full-bodied, it's rich and spicy in the mouth with a chewy frame and long, mincemeat pie-laced finish.