2018 Château des Landes Luccianus Amphore, France, Bordeaux, Lussac Saint-Emilion, Wine Review

My second time trying this wine. It is 100% Cabernet Franc aged for a year in Amphorae and bottled with a very non-traditional label. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cherries, black cherries, tobacco, and dust. Medium to full bodied. Light to medium tannins. Good balance. On the palate, flavors of black cherries, tobacco, cherries, and char. Good finish. This is drinking quite well at this point and should drink well for another ten to fifteen years. It is nice on its own but would be better with hearty dishes. Lamb or Bean Stew would be perfect.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2018

2018 Château des Landes Luccianus Amphore, France, Bordeaux, Lussac-St. Émilion, Wine Review

Vintage:

2018

Score:

Grade:

A-

This is 100% Cabernet Franc aged for a year in Amphorae and bottled with a very non-traditional label. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries and some black cherries, with dust, tobacco, and leather. Medium to full bodied. Light to medium tannins. Good balance. On the palate, this has some depth. Flavors of black cherries, tobacco, cherries, spice and char. Good finish. This seems to be just getting to peak but should drink well for another ten years. Better with food, this went well with Vegan Sausages but real sausages would work, too.

2019 Château des Landes Luccianus Amphore, France, Bordeaux, Lussac-St. Émilion, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$50.00USD

This is 100% Cabernet Franc. After fermentation, it spent 12 months in amphora where it underwent malolactic fermentation. The result is an outstanding wine. Black cherry in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is tight at first but opens to show black cherries, smoke, and baking spices. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, black cherries, slight cigar box and very concentrated. Nice finish. Still young, this will improve. Drink over the next ten to twelve years. Lamb chops would go quite well.

Borgueil: The Unpronounceable, Unforgettable King of Cabernet Franc

When I think of wine that is interesting, unique, obscure, high-value, and small-production, I think of Borgueil – the small wine region in France’s Loire Valley that produces almost exclusively Cabernet Franc.

Read full article

Cheval Blanc: The “First Growth” of the Right Bank

When the wines of Bordeaux were classified in 1855 all of the wines were from the Left Bank of the Gironde River. In fact, with the exception of Haut Brion, which is from Graves, all of the wines classified were from the Medoc. Since that time, the winemaking areas of Bordeaux have greatly expanded. Some of the best wines in Bordeaux are now made on the Right Bank including some of the most expensive wines in the entire world. While there is no official classification system for all of Bordeaux, there can be no doubt that if such a system was implemented today, at least a few Right Bank wineries would make the list. Perhaps no winery deserves the mythical first growth of the Right Bank title more than Cheval Blanc. In fact, the wines of Saint Émilion, a commune on the Right Bank, were ranked in 1955 and Cheval Blanc was one of two that received the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A). Those rankings were redone in 1969, 1986, and 1996 and most recently in 2006 (although that ranking is the subject of an ongoing legal dispute not relevant to Cheval Blanc) and Cheval Blanc has remained a First Growth in every subsequent ranking.

Read full article

2008 Les Angelots de Gracia, France, Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$85.00USD

This is the second wine of Gracia and is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. This sample was drinking very well right now. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, dark chocolate dust and slight coffee. Certainly no issues with getting ripe. The palate has light tannins. Some depth. Black cherry fruit over a dry earthiness. Good finish. This was not cheap; retailing at $85 compared to the First wines at around $135. But it is a very good wine. Should drink well for a decade as it matures. Probably won't get better.

2018 Château des Landes Luccianus Amphore, France, Bordeaux, Lussac Saint-Emilion, Wine Review

Food and Wine Pairing Tool

Related Articles

2018 Château des Landes Luccianus Amphore, France, Bordeaux, Lussac-St. Émilion, Wine Review

2019 Château des Landes Luccianus Amphore, France, Bordeaux, Lussac-St. Émilion, Wine Review

Borgueil: The Unpronounceable, Unforgettable King of Cabernet Franc

Cheval Blanc: The “First Growth” of the Right Bank

2008 Les Angelots de Gracia, France, Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Wine Review