Clos Puy Arnaud 2019

Fresh and relatively open-knit, making the mix of cherry and plum fruit with light anise, tobacco and black tea accents approachable already. Delivers subtle chalky minerality that extends this through a sneaky long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2032. 2,270 cases made, 150 cases imported.

Full bottle a moderate 1,249 g. Certified biodynamic. 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Mid crimson. Toasty, savoury, appetising nose. Nothing overdone here and a good balance between ripe, nicely integrated fruit and freshness. A really honest wine with nothing exaggerated, no make-up. Essence of place and accessible even if there is reassuring structure under the filigree fruit. Just the sort of wine to reassure a younger generation that Bordeaux can produce the goods. Chapeau! (JR)

The 2019 Clos Puy Arnaud, the biodynamic estate from Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, has an attractive, well-defined bouquet of blackberry, light estuarine scents and hints of clove and allspice. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and slightly grainy in texture. There’s plenty of freshness here, and the Cabernets impart engaging cedary notes on the finish. Excellent.

A bit reserved, so it will take a few years in the cellar or decanting to bring out its character. When that happens, you will find loads of fresh, soft, mineral-driven red fruits, herbs, and licorice to accompany all the sweet red berries. More stoic than showy, give this a few years of aging before popping a cork. Drink from 2022–2033.

Dark ruby colour, purple reflections. Ripe dark berry fruit, a hint of liquorice, some cherry, fine tobacco spice, mineral touch. Complex, juicy, ripe cherry fruit, carried by rounded tannins, pleasant fruit expression on the finish, shows length and ageing potential, but can already be enjoyed when decanted, a complex food wine. Great value for money.

Bright inky purple colour. Pure and floral aromas of violet, rose, blackberry, cassis and black truffle. Very nice texture, supple but concentrated with powdery tannin, layers of digest dark fruit, a bright freshness, good layers with discreet spices, black truffle notes, ginger, clove and wet tobacco leaf. Long and lingering finish, with finely spicy fruit. Very nice.

Kunz barrel tasting 2020: Herbs, restrained bouquet, red cherries, currants, old wood. Slim, firm palate with light sweet fruit, sandy tannins, light aromatics, bourgeois structure, medium finish.

Thierry Valette is a name to get to know on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, regularly producing wines that are at the top of the Castillon appellation. This is another impressive result, although a little austere right now, and it needs a few more years in bottle. Vibrant black fruits, a touch of orange peel bitterness combined with juicy minerality. Limestone plateau with a similar formation to the St Emilion plateau. Biodynamic. Ageing in 15% new oak barrels, 1/3 in amphoras, 1/3 in large oak casks. Bottled without fining.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Clos Puy Arnaud has notes of prunes, raisin cake, and dried herbs plus balsamic and raspberry leaves. Medium-bodied, it has plenty of baked berry flavors with chewy texture and a lifted finish.

Still reserved for now, this 2019 shows lovely substance, though a bit raw at the moment.

There’s great energy in Thierry Valette’s red: intensity, brightness and depth are all there; the palate is slightly lacking in purity, marked by partial ageing in amphorae. However, the plush texture remains the best asset of this wine with relaxed tannins.

10-hectare estate owned by Thierry Valette. The estate practices biodynamics and is certified by Demeter as well as Ecocert. The bouquet stands out for its freshness and complexity, with floral notes and black-berry aromas. The attack is tasty and juicy. Clos Puy Arnaud shows character and vibrancy, well supported by its tannins. A balanced, sapid wine.

Dark, intense, purple color. Moderately aromatic, fruity nose. A fleshy, velvety palate that unfolds smoothly, dense and flavorful mid‑palate through to the finish. Persistent with fine‑grained tannins. Good length.

Herbs, restrained bouquet, red cherries, redcurrants, old wood. Slim, firm palate with light, sweet fruit, sandy tannins, light aromatics, bourgeois structure, medium finish. 16/20 2024 - 2036

A bright and expressive wine bursting with freshly picked red berries — raspberries and strawberries with touches of black cherry. Beautifully silky smooth texture that glides across the tongue — there is so much energy and life to this. A little bit of heat is felt on the finish — hints of cedar and clove spice add piquancy and a touch of austerity, but it’s nicely balanced by juicy, mineral-edged fruit flavors. Just give this a few more years. A very charming and easy-to-enjoy wine with structure, length, and lots to enjoy. A top name to know in Castillon.

Mulberries, praline, dried flowers, clay and bark on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Round and creamy with harmonious, fruity character and a silky texture. Pure and delicious. So vibrant. 70% merlot, 25% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. From organically grown grapes. Delicious already, but better from 2024.

Owned by the Valette family from Saint-Émilion, this is one of the star wines in Castillon. Along with a powerful structure and density, it has richness. Full of direct blackberry fruits and balanced acidity, the wine has great potential. Drink from 2024. Organic and biodynamic.