By Matthew Jukes - April, 16th 2016

MY TOP FORTY WINES IN 2015 - ALL STYLES WITHIN EACH SCORE BRACKET I HAVE LISTED THEM IN PERSONAL PREFERENCE ORDER: (my scores are out of /20)

13 CHÂTEAU GRAND-PUY-LACOSTE (PAUILLAC) 19

2015 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 19+

This is a stern and commanding Grand-Puy-Lacoste with a serious, firm, statesmanlike nose and a taut, chassis, rippling with muscles and brawn. There is so much to admire before you even take a sip and when you do the power and poise ratio is sublime. Like its stablemate, Haut-Batailley, this is an epically balanced wine and while there is a more decadent nose here with more obvious oak and some wilder, exotic nuances yearning to be set free, this is a benchmark Grand- Puy-Lacoste and it is built to live forever. The tannins are regal and firm and the finish is immense but at no stage does it break out of its Pauillac straightjacket nor does it lapse into excess in any department. Utterly mesmerising this estate is kicking goals year after year and this is undoubtedly one of the top wines of the vintage.

(74 Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 Merlot, 3 Cabernet Franc) | 75% new oak. | 45 hl/ha. | 13.5% alc.