| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This Saint Estephe Chateau makes wines that are true to the appellation with impressive depth and concentration. Usually modestly priced en primeur. The 51 hectare vineyard is planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. Recent vintages have impressed us here. This Chateau always performs well in blind tastings - often being mistaken for Montrose - and was a star of "Southwold 2015" and "Ten Years On 2009".
The 2018 Meyney has opened up slightly on the nose since I tasted it from barrel, gradually revealing attractive scents of brambly black fruit, raspberry, Indian ink and hints of sage and clove. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, well-judged acidity and plenty of graphite toward the finish, which just needs to develop more precision. This feels a bit blocky at the moment, but I am sure it will eventually come round. Drink 2023-2040.
Blueberry, blackcurrant, clove, dark chocolate, praline and gravel on the nose. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Focused, chewy and layered. Fantastic effort here. Try from 2025.
The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Meyney gives up blackcurrants, black berries and plums on the nose with earth and spices plus fried herbs and lots of oak. The big, full-bodied palate has some promising fruit but is a bit hard and oaky.
It's clear that this is hugely concentrated, as is the Montrose right next door, but there's also beautiful juice and freshness underneath the black fruits and the powerful grip. Tannins, acidity and fruit: it's all there. This is great quality and should be long-lived, with a rich palate, evenly balanced and austere in all the right places. Another good vintage at this increasingly impressive property.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
Tasted blind. Lifted, silky mineral nose. Sweet ink sensation and some greenness. Pretty austere. Definitely will always need some chewy food! 14.5%
Drink 2030 – 2045
Barrel sample. Black core with deep purple rim. Very oaky on the nose, sweetly toasty as a counterpoint to stony, dark fruit. The oak really dominates the palate, the tannins thereby thickened, like thick chocolate. Chewy finish but it does have enough freshness. (JH)
Drink 2025-2035
Very deep in colour, with a rich, ripe cassis nose that is accented with sage and clove. The palate is bold and rich in tannins, but they are ripe and refined, making this surprisingly elegant. The cool but creamy cassis on the palate adds to the fine poise in this wine, which is perfectly proportioned and long, with depth on the finish that is pure rather than expansive. Long and fine, this should be one of the value picks for the vintage.
The 2018 Meyney is very closed and backward on the nose, possibly due to the oak becoming more prominent at this stage during its élevage. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, fresh in the mouth with a linear, tobacco and graphite tinged finish. All the component parts are here, but its very tight and I am sure it will need several years in bottle. Could this be the best value in the appellation this year? I'll leave it to tussle out with Lafon-Rochet. 2023 - 2040
A very dense yet tight and focused red with blackcurrants, blackberries and hints of spices and walnuts. Full-bodied, very compact and long. Intense finish.
