le Chevalier Côtes de Bourg AOC 2016 1500ml

Le Chevalier is Château Falfas's top cuvée, and the 2016 vintage shows it with power and calm balance. The magnum format gives the wine extra time to evolve: structure and freshness sit side by side, and its ageing potential is considerable.

The vines are rooted on south-facing slopes above the Gironde estuary, on limestone and clay soils threaded with flint. As early as the 14th century, the Seigneurs de Lansac produced wines here that were sent to the English royal court; a historical guide from 1827 named Château Falfas one of the region's finest crus. The estate comprises 20 hectares of vines and 15 hectares of forest, which stabilizes the climate and provides a refuge for beneficial insects.

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, harvested from vines up to 75 years old at a yield of 18 hectoliters per hectare. The grapes are hand-picked and sorted, fermentation takes place exclusively with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, and maceration lasts 15 to 25 days. The wine then ages 22 months in new French oak barrels and is bottled unfiltered.

Dry, dense and carried by fine-grained tannin. Blackberry, cassis and dark cherry lead, underscored by cedarwood, graphite and tobacco. 13.5% ABV, with a mineral drive through the long finish.

With braised leg of lamb with Mediterranean herbs, beef tenderloin, game dishes or aged Comté.

Véronique Cochran, daughter of biodynamic pioneer François Bouchet, converted Château Falfas fully to biodynamic farming in 1988. The château itself dates back to 1612.