2010 Chateau Laforge, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 750ml

Showing slightly better from bottle than barrel (and it performed admirably there), the 2010 Laforge emerges from three major soil types in St.-Emilion – gravel, sand and hard limestone. It is largely a Merlot-based wine, with only about 8% Cabernet Franc added in. A big, forceful, classic, full-bodied St.-Emilion with sensational depth, the 2010 displays plenty of black fruit, hints of incense, graphite, and forest floor, and perhaps even a suggestion of black truffle. It is deep, full-bodied, opulently textured, yet the tannic structure comes through in the finish. This is another sensational effort from proprietor Jonathan Malthus.