Michel Gracia founded this Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. Formerly a stone cutter, he had worked for the most iconic names in Bordeaux, including Angélus, Ausone et Leoville-Las-Cases. Having inherited a hectare of vines, his friends Jean-Luc Thunevin and Alain Vauthier convinced him to begin making a ‘garage wine'. Having impressed with his 1997 vintage, he expanded his production and converted o organics.

This wine comes from the producer’s famous parcel. Merlot vines dominate the one hectare vineyard but Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also cultivated. The grapes are picked by hand and undergo a rigorous sorting before carbonic maceration, a method very common in the Beaujolais that helps preserve fresh fruit aroma and suppleness. The wine is then raised for 18 months in oak. These two stages offer up a Saint-Emilion of contrasts: powerful yet supple, expressive and fruit forward. It will age gracefully for a decade or so at least.