SAINT-ESTÈPHE

Concentrated and still youthful, La Devise de Lilian offers a vibrant nose of crushed blackcurrants, raspberry jam, allspice, and vanilla. The palate is packed with black fruit (blackcurrants, blueberry), but it is not monotone and the rich oak provides highlights. This wine has remarkably fine tannins, and a zesty streak of acidity. Almost New World in style yet balanced and convincing. 2025-2030 – mp

14.5%

Crushed blackcurrants, raspberry jam, allspice, vanilla

Blackcurrants, blueberry, liquorice, vanilla

Classic paté en croute

Château Martin announces itself as fully mature with an elegant bouquet of cooked cherry, stewed plums, smoky notes, and undergrowth. Classically detailed, the equally complex palate is very much complemented by sinewy tannins and precise acidity with the wine attaining a level of balance that works well with the tertiary notes on the long finish. 2023-2026 – mp

3 $ 76 $ 228

Château Andron Blanquet reveals intense aromas of blackcurrant, strawberry, vanilla, and clove. The addition of raspberry and black cherry on the palate makes for a subtle mingling of red and black fruit that is instantly recognisable as Bordeaux. Textbook stuff, as only one would hope (the estate is adjacent to Cos Labory). This will develop considerable complexity as it ages. 2023-2028 – mp

14.5%

Cooked cherry, stewed plums, smoky notes, undergrowth

Stewed plums, undergrowth, coffee, gamey notes

Roast veal with creamy wild mushroom sauce

13.5%

Blackcurrant, strawberry, vanilla, clove

Blackcurrant, raspberry, black cherry, vanilla

Slow-braised beef short ribs with berry glaze

THE PRINCE IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE PRINCE.

Like most pirates, The Prince Pirate was born out of opportunity – in this case odd parcels of wine that either fell outside of traditional appellation requirements (read into that what you will in 1970s France) or were offered to us at advantageous prices providing that we didn’t reveal our sources. Over the years The Prince has developed a loyal following precisely because of the exceptional value that it offers.

But the Prince wasn’t just about opportunity. It was about selection. The buying team at Opimian takes its obligation to source wines that punch well above their weight extremely seriously. Combined, our Masters of Wine have hundreds of years of field experience. They blind taste and assiduously select only the very best (fewer than 1% of the wines we are sent make it into members’ cellars). Of all the wines - none was more hotly debated than The Prince.

It's rare that a wine is deemed good enough to make it into the catalogue and rarer still when an estate gets it right for both reds and whites, vintage after vintage. When the team tasted the red and white from Château de Rouquette, however, they were stopped dead in their tasting glasses. These wines punched WAY above their weight and were unanimously proclaimed to be worthy of carrying on the tradition of The Prince!

Available in half bottles, full bottles and magnums, please join us in welcoming the new Prince who, we can assure you, is every bit as deserving of the title as his predecessors.

The Opimian Exclusive Selection, sourced from Sauvignon and Sémillon, sports an inviting nose with wax, honey, wet stone, white peach, quince and gooseberry. It’s blissfully oak-free. The palate develops at pace with honeyed notes, candle wax, white peach, honeydew melon and gooseberry. The finish is driven by both crisp acidity and fruit and it’s rounded off with a delicious, phenolic edge that provides texture and weight. 2023 – 2025 – mp

This delicious claret looks to the classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot enlivened with a dollop of Cabernet. Very knit for a 2022, the nose shows ripe fruit driven by classic Cabernet notes of cassis and menthol together with Merlot's softer plum and mulberry; jammy black fruit is supported by a hint of cooler red currant and cranberry. Beguiling and already starting to show well, this will be a joy in a year's time with both the concentration of fruit and layers of flavour necessary to age gracefully. 2024-2027–mp

Top Value

Wines For Your Everyday Drinking

Cassis, menthol, black plum, mulberry

Red currant, cranberry, black plum

Lapin sauté chasseur à la cocotte

FIND YOUR EVERYDAY PETITE MARINE ROSÉ ONLINE, LOT 4309