Château Lespault-Martillac 2024

Dark-fruited and smoky on the nose, Christmas spices, plums, black cherries; compact palate, firm, bitter tannins, red-fruited, rather short finish.

Smooth and crisp, this has brightness and focus with quite high acidity that softens almost straight away with a softly chewy tannic backbone. Strawberry, raspberry and cranberry fruit. Calm and quietly charming. This will be ready to drink soon and will be an easy drinker. I like the finesse and the elegance of the expression.

Black cherries, cocoa, smoke, and red plums form the wine’s character. Medium-bodied, soft, forward, and fresh, the plummy finish is quite charming. This is going to be delicious on release, and will be even better with some time in the bottle as it will easily age for at least a decade or more. The wine blends 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027–2039. 91–93 pts

An elegant oaky note in the bouquet of Lespault-Martillac supports the fruity expression of black berries and sweet spices. Linear in style, the wine shows a certain density and can boast finely extracted tannins. It needs to gain in palate expression, but the groundwork is in place. A promising wine.

Grilled, smoky oak, deep plum and blueberry fruits, with redcurrants that emphasise the sharp acidity. This is skilfully made, aware of the shortcomings of the vintage, enjoyable but short on the finish. Harvest 24 September to 5 October. 30% new oak, in organic conversion, vineyard overseen by Domaine de Chevalier team.

Bright red colour, of normal intensity. Moderately aromatic nose. Hints of wet leather. A wine that stands out on the attack more than on the mid-palate and finish, even though it is fragrant. Medium length.