2014 Lilian Ladouys, St-Estèphe

Under the ownership of Jacky Lorenzetti, president of one of France’s top rugby clubs, this estate is now performing impressively. The wine is finely structured with dark tannins and tight acidity and a hint of minerality. It is Merlot-dominated, although it is the 40% Cabernet Sauvignon that brings out the black-currant fruitiness. *Cellar Selection* (RV)

The success of 2014 in St-Estephe is not a well-kept secret at this point, but it's always a joy to find wines like this that remind you how good the year was in the Northern Médoc. Add the fact that it is priced in line with the vintage (certainly at a discount of 2015/2016) and you're bound to find superb value. This Lilian Ladouys stacks up with their famed 2009, in my opinion, but it is a bit more precise and fresher. Impressive aromatics deliver cedar and blackberry, while the palate merges St-Estephe minerality with well-defined fruit and tannins, currant, forest floor, and raspberry. Hard not to love right now, but I'm guessing this will be fun to visit anytme over the next decade. This is a major sleeper, considering the vintage and property, and a remarkable price for a legit, properly aged St-Estephe.