2019 Le Desir

The 2019 Le Désir is just as stunning as the first time I tasted it from bottle. It's pure and layered, with alluring scents of Morello cherries, dried mushrooms, cigars, sage and aniseed wafting from the glass. The palate strikes a fine balance of concentrated fruit, loads of powdery tannins, and energetic bursts of fresh acidity. It has a deep core of concentrated, perfumed fruit with the first faint touches of umami character and a long finish driven by floral and iron tones. I can't get enough of this wine!

83% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Franc adds so much to the aromatic complexity of this wine, offering forest fruits, graphite, dried herbs and fresh plums. There are defined edges to the structure here – the wine is positively chalky but matched by an intensity of sweet, floral fruit. Violets and cherry blossom mix with deeper cassis tones. Succulent and serious in equal measure. (TP)

The 2019 Le Desir is based on Cabernet Franc, with the remainder 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is complex and layered, with hints of saddle leather, pencil shavings, tangy red cherry, and blackcurrant. The palate is full and elegantly structured, with mocha, red plum, and turned soil. This is an incredible wine with lots of underlying tension that will be a pleasure to revisit if afforded the opportunity. Drink over the next 20 or more years.