Chateau des Graviers, Margaux, France 2019

There is truly no Bordeaux like Margaux, and to find a grower in this special appellation whose sensibilities align with our own is no easy task. We were overjoyed, then, to encounter Christophe Landry’s Château des Graviers, in the commune of Arsac

For his flagship Margaux, Christophe vinifies each variety and each parcel separately, adopting different vinification techniques based on the cépage, and all fermentations occur spontaneously. Comprising all six red grape varieties allowed in the region, this blends just over 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with around 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% each Malbec and Petit Verdot, and 2% Carmenère. The finished wine displays gorgeous harmony, with taut red fruits mingling with a mouthcoating sense of river rocks, and a just-so level of extraction that holds the wine together without contributing any hardness. Certified organic.