6 bottles (162CHF) Château Hostens-Picant Lucullus 2000 Vintage: 2000 Colour: Red Origin: France - Bordeaux - Entre-Deux-Mers - Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux A.O.C. Alc % by Vol: 13% Jean-Michel Deluc: To see the rest of this promotion

Our opinion

A wine of the same calibre as a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru: style, finesse, complexity and class...this wine's got it all! Distinct notes of ageing are integrated into the creamy and silky substance that will delight lovers of great Bordeaux wines. This cuvée is well known among the great restaurants around the world and we thought you ought to have the opportunity to get your hands on it. So, after tasting it again at Vinexpo, I decided to share a real favourite with you.

Description

The Château Hostens-Picant estate covers 42 hectares and is situated at the very heart of the Sainte-Foy Bordeaux appellation on the sloping hillsides of Lèves and Thoumeyragues, 24km from Saint-Emilion. Acquired at the end of 1986 by Nadine and Yves Picant, the domain had remained with the same family for the previous 90 years, when the vineyard was under contract to a cooperative from 1946 to 1989. After the acquisition in 1986, the new owners tried several different methods of vinification for 3 years before deciding to construct a new cellar for vinification and ageing and produced their first wines in 1990. This lovely property (you could almost be in the middle of Tuscany…) launched the Sainte-Foy Bordeaux appellation and the Picants succeeded in their almost unbelievable aim of producing wines equivalent to a number of ‘crus bourgeois' on a terroir that had become obsolete. Their top of the range Lucullus cuvée (98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in barrels with yields of 28hl/ha) is a perfect example of their success.

Tips on service

• Conservation: drinking now
• At its best in: 2008
• Serve at 17°

Food and wine matching

Rare and strong flavoured meats, spring lamb or strong cheeses.

Tasting notes

By Jean Michel Deluc : Master Sommelier

Eye - Superb dark ruby colour with inky black nuances and crimson glints at the edge of the glass. Concentrated texture. Bright and opaque due to its density.
Nose - Great finesse on the nose gives us very ripe red and black fruity aromas of blackcurrants, cherries and raspberries. Notes of barrel-ageing including vanilla, pepper, cinammon, cedar wood, coffee, cocoa and toasted notes are well-integrated into the fruity background. The background takes on a more jammy connotation with aeration, while retaining an incredible delicacy. Freshness is present with notes of liquorice and peppermint. Absolutely superb!
Palate - A palate of pure velvet with a supple and fruity attack, quite rich and creamy but tending towards a young and tight structure at the finish with very fine, silky tannins. The length is incredible and promises us moments to cherish in the years to come. The finesse and the delicacy of the nose is present throughout tasting.