Region: Bordeaux Supérieur, France

Vintage: 2018

Composition: 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc

History: In 2001, Alexandre de Malet Roquefort, owner of Château La Gaffelière in Saint-Émilion, and his wife fell in love with Château Chapelle Macaran, which was quickly renamed Château Chapelle d’Aliénor. The clay-limestone soil gives the wine a nice freshness and a great minerality. Made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this 2018 Bordeaux Supérieur vintage is decidedly attractive.

Tasty Notes:

“Coming from the sprawling Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux, the 2018 Château Chapelle d’Aliénor is made by the team at La Gaffelière and is a tank-aged blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. This ripe, sexy, flamboyant 2018 reveals a deep purple color as well as classic notes of black cherries, tobacco, forest floor, and earth. Showing a floral edge with time in the glass, it’s medium-bodied, upfront, and ready to go.”  – Jeb Dunnuck