Grand Vin Pessac-Léognan 1995

It’s hard to think of a winery with a longer or more illustrious history than that of Château Haut-Brion; Haut-Brion is the only one of the five Premier Cru Classés of the 1855 Classification not found in the Médoc. The Delmas family have been making the wines here for almost a century, making it quite unique. Considering how many wines a critic like Antonio Galloni must taste each day, it speaks volumes when he says: “Haut-Brion has long been one of my personal favourites.” If it isn’t one of yours also, it soon will be after tasting this.

A wine that gets better and better with age. You’ll find notes of mahogany, Cuban cigar, bramble, black cherry, liquorice, wild mushrooms, red brick, vanilla and the waft of smoke from an autumn leaf bonfire. Open this an hour or two before you want to drink it, and it will offer unimaginable pleasure. This pairs perfectly with classic French dishes such as Entrecôte a la Bordelaise, but will go equally well with Asian spices or roasted vegetables such as Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips and beetroots.