Chateau Perron: fingers on the buzzer for round two

Still £12 a bottle by the case before tax (equivalent to £17.00 inc duty & VAT) 

Apologies that we disappointed so many of you at the start of March; when we put out an offer on Chateau Perron, the 2011 affordeaux stunner from Lalande-de-Pomerol, we sold our entire allocation in about 20 minutes. So here's your second chance for a bite at the cherry, or if you made it the first time round, a chance to start a little vertical. As those of you who came to our free Friday tasting last week know, we put a sample of the 2012 on show, and the overwhelming public verdict was YES. The 2012 is every bit as good as the 2011. A little younger, yes, maybe wanting just a little bit more time to come around, but every bit a classic right-bank character, for not a penny more than the 2011.

To recap, Lalande-de-Pomerol sits just to the north of Pomerol proper. Chateau Perron dates back to 1642 and is one of the oldest properties in the appellation, but for the last three generations, it has been in the hands of the Massonie family. Current incumbent Bertrand Massonie combines a respect for the terroir and history of the chateau with considerable drive and technical skill, and the chateau has undergone a small renaissance under his stewardship.

As befits the sand-on-gravel vineyard soils of the Perron vineyards, the blend is fairly classic right bank (80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon). Vineyard practices are careful and along lutte raisonee principles. In the cellar, in recent years they have dialled back on the new oak and the results show in the explosion of sales the chateau has recently been experiencing. /NT

Available late spring 2017