Château Grand Puy Lacoste, 5ème Cru Classé, Pauillac,

Traces of butterscotch-smoked sweetness that shows the warm conditions of the year. Garnet and ruby in colour, there is an attractive sense of uplift, and the terroir impact is clearer than it was En Primeur, as always happens with the best estates after a few years in bottle. The classic Pauillac character is starting to assert itself, with crushed mint, cedar, slate, smoked earth and cardamon alongside blueberry, bilberry and cassis fruits. After half an hour in the glass it deepens in complexity, revealing the most gorgeous floral aromatics. 75% new oak.

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2015 Grand-Puy-Lacoste sashays out with showy notions of baked black cherries, fruitcake, and dried mulberries, plus a waft of redcurrant jelly, Indian spices, and incense. The medium-bodied palate is lively and plush, with tons of expressive black and red berry preserves flavors and a wonderfully spicy finish.

The 2015 Grand Puy Lacoste did not perform to the level I expected. That said, it has a wonderful bouquet of vibrant blackberry and raspberry fruit, rose petals and graphite, all very complex and engaging. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin. It still has some vanilla-y oak to be assimilated, but it displays a very smooth texture and fine precision toward the finish. A little more showy and modern in style than previous vintages. I would give this at least five years in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.