2020 Les Hauts de Perganson (second wine), Les Hauts de Perganson

• Style: Velvety Haut-Médoc claret, soft tannins, drinking now
• Taste: Blackberry, cassis, sweet spice, vanilla, fresh acidity
• Food: Roast beef, venison casserole, charcuterie, beef braises, steak
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, weeknight suppers
• Serve: 13% ABV; ready now — no cellaring needed

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Deep ruby in the glass, with a lush, ripe bouquet of blackberries, cassis, sweet spices and vanilla. The palate is where this claret earns its shelf space: velvety tannins balanced by excellent acidity, medium-bodied and bone dry, the fruit doing the talking rather than the oak. Ready to drink now — no cellar required — with an 89-point WS score to back our judgement: the bottle we hand over when someone asks for Left Bank Bordeaux for tonight.

The Winery — Château Larose Perganson

Château Larose Perganson sits in Saint-Laurent-Médoc, on the border of Pauillac and Saint-Julien, beside the vineyards of Château Latour. The estate dates to 1719; its wines once fetched prices worthy of Cru Classé status, before the property fell into disrepair in the 1830s. Bought in 1986 by the owners of Château Larose Trintaudon, it has been restored: certified 'Vignoble Responsable' in 1999 and, in 2010, the first European vineyard rated 'exemplary' in sustainable development. Les Hauts de Perganson is the second wine — 13-year-old vines rooted in the Pyrenean layer, one of the Médoc's oldest gravel beds, forcing roots deep and concentrating the fruit. The 2020 harvest began in August, the earliest ever here, after a summer of wide day-night temperature swings that built ripeness and aroma. Délestage in stainless steel drew out colour while keeping the tannins soft and the style fruit-forward, with 15% aged on French oak staves. So, for you, this means a 59% Cabernet Sauvignon blend from first-growth country, farmed sustainably, at a second-wine price.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

A Sunday-lunch claret through and through: roast beef, a venison casserole, a slow beef braise, or a charcuterie board while the joint rests. At 13% with soft tannins, one well-paired glass at the table is the point — it flatters the plate rather than fighting it, and needs no ceremony on a weeknight. Explore more of our Haut-Médoc shelf, the wider Bordeaux collection, and our Medium Bodied Red Wine range.