2024 Château de Fieuzal

The character of the vintage is very much more obvious on the palate than aromatically – with the nose rather more sunny and solaire, a pleasing contrast to many. Hyper-expressive and with that lovely very pure, precise, freshly crushed ripe red berry fruit – raspberry and loganberry. Sandalwood, a de Fieuzal signature. Blood orange, above all with aeration. Fennel seed. A little hint of redcurrant and a little blueberry too. Very lithe and ethereal. Aerial on the palate. Glassy. Crystalline. There’s a touch of graphite and even cedar – rare in the vintage – with aeration. This is very refined and quite Burgundian in a way. Elegant and pure. It maybe lacks a little of the complexity of the 2 previous vintages, but it fills out as the wine inhales and this was tasted first only a week after the assemblage. Very mineral and quite saline on the finish.

Beautiful and finesse-oriented, the 2024 Château Fieuzal reveals red and blue fruits, flowers, spice, and hints of graphite and gravelly earth. Based on 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot, it's medium-bodied and pure on the palate, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel and silky tannins.

Medium intensity cherry red, slate and crayon texture, well handled, austere, but structured, you can see the slow build of muscles through the palate, and the deepening black fruit character. Softly spoken compared to many vintages of this excellent wine, but there are layers here, good complexity, and skilful construction.