Hauts-Conseillants Lalande Pomerol 2020 MAGNUM

Château Les Hauts-Conseillants Lalande-de-Pomerol 2020 (1.5L Magnum) is an opulent, beautifully refined Right Bank Bordeaux red blend (predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Franc) that, when bottled in a large-format magnum, allows the exceptionally ripe, solar fruit of the brilliant 2020 vintage to age with immense grace and balance: on the nose it shows intense black cherry, ripe plum jam, and wild blackberry liqueur layered with sweet vanilla bean, toasted cocoa, dried violets, and a complex hint of warm wood smoke, tobacco leaf, and forest floor; the palate is medium-to-full-bodied, plush, and incredibly velvety, with flavours of juicy blackcurrant, dark chocolate-covered raspberries, and sweet damson supported by notes of savory liquorice, espresso grounds, light cedar wood, and a beautifully rounded, fine-grained tannic structure, sometimes edging into riper hints of black pastilles, while a fresh, underlying limestone core and a smooth, balanced acidity keep it energetic and focused; the finish is remarkably long, rich, and clean, lingering on dark berry skins, warm baking spices, and a classic Right Bank clay-and-gravel minerality.