Les Pelerins de Lafon-Rochet 2023

Juicy but straight and streamlined, acidity is high and searing, making this a little tart and sour but the tannins are nice and this has good movement. I like the chalky texture, giving a powdery grip to the palate helping the acidity to settle and giving a structured frame. Tight and restrained with lots of graphite minerality and some tension but feels well worked. Despite the majority of Merlot you can feel more of a Cabernet touch. 45% second. 3.6 pH. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

Fresh, spicy tobacco and currants come through easily on the nose and on the chewy, peppery, currant-filled palate of this easy-to-like, easy-to-enjoy charmer. Drink from 2025-2032. 89-91 pts.

Spice and intense black fruits, lavender and blueberry, fresh acidity. The estate continues its careful reworking, focusing first on the vineyard, ensuring full ripeness of the vines to tease out its St Estèphe personality. Ageing in a mix of one-year-old barrels and 1,300L oak casks. Final year of organic conversion, certification in 2024, yield of 42 hl/ha. Christophe Congé technical director, Jacky Lorenzetti owner.

Score: 89-91. Soft, ripe red fruits open a fresh, tangy bouquet that does not lack minerality. The palate shows more black fruit. The substance is superbly concentrated with a very straight framework.

Fresh and direct, with lilac and iris notes that gently pull a core of mulled currant fruit along. Singed cedar and earth accents line the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2027 through 2033. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.