France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Malbec

Carménère

Ch. de Pressac

Chateau de Pressac Grand Cru Classe Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Bordeaux

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Amateur

Deep garnet-purple colored. Features notes of crushed blackberries and raspberries with suggestions of cedar, violets, and crushed rocks. The light to medium-bodied palate is fragrant and plush with a lively line and whispery finish.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 de Pressac needs a lot of patient swirling to bring out notes of redcurrant jelly and juicy plums leading to underlying hints of lilacs, pencil shavings, and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is lively and soft-textured, with delicately layered, understated fruit and a perfumed, whispery finish. This is very pretty! The blend is 70% Merlot, 16.5% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Carmenere, 2% Malbec, and 0.5% Petit Verdot.

The 2022 de Pressac, a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. A tad closed to begin, it soon reveals notes of crushed red and black cherries, juicy plums, and tilled soil with an underlying waft of mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate is laden with ripe, expressive black and red berry layers, supported by velvety tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Medium-bodied ruby in colour, with redcurrant, blueberry, pomegranate and gooseberry fruit laced with grilled sandalwood that adds an extra layer of complexity. Plenty of limestone character, with austerity still evident but there is juice and lift, and an elegance that speaks of the soils. Tasted twice, has grip and character. Owner Jean-François Quenin, with Hubert de Bouard and Alain Raynaud consultant.

Inside Bordeaux

This has character and interest, tons of personality, black fruits, spiced red peppers, liqourice and aniseed. 32 ha of vines on largely clay-limestone slopes. Good stuff. Quenin family. Hubert de bouard consultant, 34hl/ha yield.

Broad shouldered but precise, this is an attractive vintage at Pressac that has held its momentum and drive over ageing. Firm tannins still, with plenty of blueberry and blackberry fruit, a black pepper lick through the finish. 65% new oak. A yield of 40hl/ha, with the unusual characteristic of featuring all five main Bordeaux red varieties in the blend. Tasted twice.

This wine is deep ruby.

On the nose it has pronounced intensity with aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry), herbaceous (green bell pepper, blackcurrant leaf), herbal (oregano), volcanic rocks, oak (cedar, chocolate), maturation (raisin, date, cooked plum, cassis, forest floor, clay pot, tobacco). 

On the palate this wine is dry with high acidity, high tannins and high alcohol. With full body and pronounced flavour intensity. Flavours of black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry), herbal (thyme, oregano, dried herbs), fruit driven, alcohol warmth, maturation (raisin, date, cassis). 

A long finish and suitable for bottle ageing.
Quality is outstanding. 

WSET 3

Amatør

Deep ruby colour, significantly better than the 2009 in this lineup, with great freshness, supple and grippy tannins, attractive blackberry and raspberry brambled fruit, waves of rosemary, cumin and white pepper spice, with a mint leaf signoff. Clear here why it was promoted to Grand Cru Classé just two years later.

This estate, owned by Jean-François Quenin, was classified in 2012, and these were the years when its quality was building up slowly but surely. I do feel the heat of alcohol on opening beats, but it is quickly balanced out by tobacco, leather, tar, peat, and ripe raspberry puree fruit. The first bottle had noticeable brett, but I opened a second and it was thoroughly enjoyable - if already in its tertiary window.

Smoked oak dominant on the nose, and the attack is full of turmeric and black pepper spice, with grilled cedar and cocoa bean. Still feels a little highly charged even at this piont, although there are ripe rapsberry and blackberry fruits underneath. 50% new oak.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.	5293501
Producer	Ch. de Pressac
Vintages	2018
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	14 %
Acid	3,9 %
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type	Naturkork
Selection	Bestillingsutvalget
Wholesaler	Better Wines AS
Carrier	Vectura AS