Petit Gravet Aine 2010

This wine has developed beautifully during its elevage, and the blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot (one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Franc in all of St.-Emilion, probably exceeded only by Chateau Le Dome) tips the scales at 14.8% natural alcohol, which is remarkable given its blend. From a tiny 6.5-acre estate just to the west of Canon La Gaffeliere in the foothills of St.-Emilion, the 2010's sweet, floral nose intermixed with blueberry and black raspberry fruits, graphite and incense is followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich, heady wine with sensational blackberry and graphite notes in the spectrum of flavors. Inky purple and full-bodied (especially for a Cabernet Franc-dominated wine), this is a beauty that has enough tannin to suggest stashing it away for 3-4 years and drinking it over the following 20-25 years.