Château Cap de Faugères “La Mouleyre” 2015

Appellation: Castillon

Producer: Château Cap de Faugères (“La Mouleyre” is their flagship single-block wine)

Vintage: 2015

Grape Varieties: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol: 15% ABV

Vineyard: Old vines, single block

Winemaking: 12 months in oak

Serving Temperature: 17°C

Even at its post-arrival price ($113.95) this wine will still represent excellent value-for-money. And, beyond money, this is Bordeaux at its very best and to have this kind of quality at full maturity and from a legendary vintage is a rare find indeed.

La Mouleyre 2015 is a high octane combination of exuberant and multi-layered depth, made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from a single block of old vines. Its aromatics have breathtaking purity and delineation: fresh blackberry and spicy dark plum purée sit at the forefront, while raspberry and mulberry provide a vivid counterpoint. There is impressive ripeness and clarity here, with a woody oak undertone adding another dimension. After more than a decade from vintage, this is a Castillon with knockout presence and pedigree.

The palate is voluminous, plush, and long, carried by ripe tannins that provide shape beneath all that fruit. At 15% alcohol this is unquestionably a substantial wine, yet its freshness, purity and clarity prevent richness from becoming the whole story. Twelve months in oak accompanies the concentration, while the long line of blackberry and mulberry fruit gives the wine persistence. Depth and elegance are not always easy partners at this scale, which makes their interplay particularly compelling here.

Drink now through 2035, served at around 17°C with beef short ribs, roast lamb or duck confit. Mature, concentrated and wonderfully complete, La Mouleyre is mindbogglingly good. If you like big red wines, buy as much of this as you can afford. 120 bottles in total available.

Post arrival price will be $113.95