2023 Boyd Cantenac

Full bottle 1,244 g. Sandy siliceous gravels, with very little clay and excellent drainage. 38-year-old vines: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Fermented in tank, 20 days on the skins. Ageing: 90% new French oak barrels for 17–18 months. Very dark purple-crimson with purplish rim. Intense and open aroma that is pure cassis melded with some oak sweetness, and a light lift of stony dark-red fruit. Even more aromatic on the day after opening. Lively and fresh on the palate, the tannins nicely dry and in balance with the pure fruit though still with the chewy thickness of youth and oak. On the finish, a hint of chocolate but the fruit is the star here. Young but you could drink this in a few years with food. No long wait required. (JH)

A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Boyd-Cantenac has a deep garnet-purple color. It is a little tarry and broody to start off, soon revealing scents of red and black plums, black raspberries, and sauteed herbs, plus touches of graphite and black pepper. The medium-bodied palate is a touch rugged and chewy, with savory flavors and an herbal finish.

Full bottle 1,244 g. Sandy siliceous gravels, with very little clay and excellent drainage. 38-year-old vines: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Fermented in tank, 20 days on the skins. Ageing: 90% new French oak barrels for 17–18 months. Very dark purple-crimson with purplish rim. Intense and open aroma that is pure cassis melded with some oak sweetness, and a light lift of stony dark-red fruit. Even more aromatic on the day after opening. Lively and fresh on the palate, the tannins nicely dry and in balance with the pure fruit though still with the chewy thickness of youth and oak. On the finish, a hint of chocolate but the fruit is the star here. Young but you could drink this in a few years with food. No long wait required. (JH)