Château Loudenne 2007

Loudenne is one of the best-loved estates of the Médoc. Its extensive vineyards are ideally placed, just 6 kilometres from Saint Estèphe, its gravel soil slopes sweeping down to the Gironde estuary below. Indeed, Loudenne is the only estate in the Médoc with its own private harbour, and rose gardens too! Made from the classic Bordeaux blend and aged for a year in one third new French oak barrels, this is a fine claret. The vintage was particularly wet, but was saved by a fine September, as you’ll taste with this wine’s lovely mature complexity. It has lost its upfront fruit, those notes replaced by hints of autumn leaves and cedar, with gentle silky tannins. Let the bottle stand upright a few hours if there’s sediment, and decant carefully.