Moulin d'Issan (75cl, 13%)

A Merlot-dominant Bordeaux Supérieur red wine from Château d'Issan, bottled at 13% ABV in a 750ml format. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on mainly clayey limestone soils. The wine is aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, 25% of which are new. It takes its name from the ruins of a 17th-century windmill that still stands in the middle of the vineyard. The nose opens with red plum and dark cherry, then incense, violets and earth, with tobacco spice and subtle oak. The palate is juicy and fruit-forward, led by ripe blackberry and black cherry, with earthy undertones and woody spice. The finish is well-balanced, carried by fine, polished tannins and lingering dark fruit.