2012 Clarisse Vieilles Vignes

Dark plums, crème de cassis and spices meld together in the 2012 Clarisse Vieilles Vignes, the estate's 100% old-vine Merlot. There is plenty to like in this virile, structured wine, but ideally readers should cellar the 2012 for another year or two. Low yields, long, but gentle extraction and malolactic fermentation in barrel helped bring out the very best from these 65 year-old vines on Puisseguin clay/limestone plateau. Stéphane Derenoncourt and Romain Bocchio are the consulting winemakers.