Château Haut-Breton Larigaudière, Le Créateur, Margaux 2020 (13%)

£110 Handford

The dark black-purple colour of this wine betrays its extreme youth – and it might just set you on your guard in a commune such as Margaux, where classical beauty lies not in power and depth, but in grace and fragrance. One sniff, though, should allay your concerns. These are aromas of alluring charm: deftly defined blackcurrant notes with a sense of fruit-blossom freshness, all aerial refinement. On the palate, too, this is lively, deeply fruited wine of dancing energy, backed by tender, flavourful tannins and well-judged, lithe yet ripe acidity. This finely crafted Margaux will profit from a few years in the cellar, but it has all the shapeliness and poised fruit presence required to drink well now.

The De Schepper family acquired Château Haut-Breton Larigaudière in 1964, its new Belgian owners swiftly instigating a head-to-toe overhaul of the property which now comprises 15ha of vineyards, dominated by Cabernet

Sauvignon and sitting on a range of soils – although gravel is an ever-present.

This award winner, while something of an outlier, plays to its strengths, as thirdgeneration Hélène De Schepper explains: ‘This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is unusual in Margaux, but gives superb aromatic finesse.

‘Le Créateur was first made in 2000 when my father Jacques De Schepper had the idea of creating a cuvée in honour of his father and his father’s favourite grape variety. We only produce this wine in vintages where the harvest allows us to make both our grand vin and Le Créateur without having to compromise on the quality of either.

‘It’s about exploiting the full potential of the Médoc,’ says De Schepper. ‘Although climate change is making things more challenging, no other wine region can naturally produce perfectly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon at relatively low alcohol, avoiding the heaviness that would reduce the wine’s freshness and fruit.’