Château Laroche Bergan – 2012 – Madiran

Red wine with a fairly dense colour here, still rather opaque at the core with a slightly lighter rim. The nose is still on the younger side, I would say with more primary fruits notes here, mainly dark berries; like cassis, plum and dark cherry. A slight hint of oak and also some spicy, like a certain herbal spiciness there, some notes of bay leaf and sage. Still very youthful on the palate here, we have high density, we have plenty of extract there. So, a great amount of tannin with a mix of red and dark fruit. We still have some of that herbal spiciness found on the nose, like bay leaf and sage. Quite elevated acidity as well, so still youthful. Quite vigorous there, with a long finish. A style of wine I truly would like to put back in the cellar. It has a good potential, but it is still a little bit marked by that tannic presence. It should definitely develop more complexity, harmony and nuance over the coming two, three or four years.

Tasted by the Best Sommelier of the World, Andreas Larsson.