2010 Château Hosanna

Luckily for us, also at the Hansons' dinner table was a guest whose avowed favourite wine was Pomerol, and Anthony H is an extremely generous host. This was absolutely captivating bottle. Tasting it from cask in 2011 , I found it pretty tannic but thought it had potential. Then in 2014 , tasting it blind at the Southwold tastings, I found it 'exotic' and 'evolved'.   This bottle seemed to combine all those elements plus at least 10 years' bottle age to provide a gloriously rich but neither heavy nor excessively sweet whole. Lots of vitality and just the sort of glamour one seeks in a top Pomerol. Perhaps it was the Hanson Spiral Cellar what did it. (JR)

The 2010 Hosanna shows much more ripeness on the nose compared to its peers, more red fruit with perfumed cherries and bergamot tea aromas, rose petal and sage. The palate is silky smooth with what feels like a fair proportion of Cabernet Franc. It does not quite kick on towards the somewhat oaky finish, though this is very seductive. Unlike other Pomerols, you could broach this now. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Hosanna gives up baked black cherries, dried mulberries and fruitcake scents with hints of fragrant earth, baking spices and dried roses. Full-bodied, the palate has impressive freshness and lovely, ripe, plush tannins supporting the spicy fruit, finishing with great length.