Danielle Meunier works the same modest farmstead her family has owned in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux since the early 1800’s. She has a bold and direct manner, and the philosophy behind her property is similarly straightforward. Château Haut-Segottes is essentially a one-woman show with winemaking done in the basement and all grapes grown in the “backyard.” Of course, this is no ordinary backyard—the property is within a designated Grand Cru and a mere 300 meters from its most famous estate, Château Cheval Blanc (MSRP $1,300 per bottle, mind you). This, Danielle’s only wine bottled under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation, is predominantly Cabernet Franc, with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fermentation occurs in steel tank, followed by 18 months in small oak barrels (20% new) and bottling without filtration. This simple, old school approach produces wines that are coarse in their youth, but blossom after a few years in the cellar. 

The 2012 Château Haut-Segottes Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is garnet at the rim with an opaque crimson core. This vintage enjoys a touch more body than usual with layers of vivid blackberry, currant, and plum fruit—and as is typical for 2012, assertive youthful tannins provide a nicely delineated frame for the whole picture. Aromatically, Haut Segottes is always a chameleon: currants and cedar one moment, pipe tobacco, violets and black truffles the next, then wet stone and graphite—but in 2012, those aromas are a touch more raw and primal. We like this vintage’s less restrained expression of Danielle Meunier’s classic Saint Emilion and think it makes the wine especially enjoyable to drink at a younger age. Decant for 45 minutes and serve at 60 degrees in a large Bordeaux stem. And if you have some free time to prepare a perfect meal for this bottle, I recommend homemade lamb burgers made from a freshly ground shoulder cut. Dress them simply—perhaps with some aioli and a melted slice of your favorite aged cow's milk cheese—and you will be transported to culinary heaven. Cheers!