2017 Vieux Chateau Mazerat

The 2017 Vieux Château Mazeret has a harmonious and quite intense bouquet with black cherries, black olive and a faint aroma of wet clay (or pottery wheel as I sometimes call it.) The palate is medium-bodied with supple, saturated tannins matched with a fine bead of acidity. This feels very smooth with a dash of white pepper and sage, displaying fine length and vigour so that you can feel its spiciness 30 seconds after the wine has departed.

From vines near Angelus and Canon that's a blend of 65% Merlot and % Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Vieux Chateau Mazerat sports a deep purple hue as well as loads of blueberry, red plum, and spiced, black cherry fruits, full-bodied richness, plenty of chocolatey minerality and a great finish. This rich, powerful, concentrated 2017 is going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and drink beautifully for 15 years.

The 2017 Vieux Château Mazerat was picked 22 September for the Merlot and from 29 September to 2 October. It has a more understated bouquet at first that gradually unfurls with detailed blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, touches of wilted rose petal and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly grippy tannin. It is a more masculine and structured Vieux Château Mazerat with a saline finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. Very fine.