Château Beausejour Cuvée Prestige 2019

Chateau Beausejour sits in Fronsac, a right bank Bordeaux appellation known for firm, mineral reds built on Merlot. The estate has been held by the same family for five generations, the most recent three led by women. Fronsac's clay and limestone soils, on slopes above the Dordogne, suit Merlot in particular, giving ripe dark fruit with a mineral edge and good freshness. This Cuvee Prestige blends Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the two Cabernets adding structure and a savoury, leafy lift. The wine spends twelve months in oak barrel, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds cocoa and woodspice while the fruit stays intact. The colour is deep. The nose shows wild berries, plum and mineral notes over a hint of dark chocolate and tobacco. The palate is dense, rich and velvety, medium to full bodied, with ripe fruit, fine-grained tannins and an earthy, mineral finish. Serve at seventeen to eighteen degrees, decanted, in a Bordeaux glass. It is built for roast and grilled meats.