Thierry Garnaud spent 30 years crafting 100-point Cheval Blancs. The '90, '98, '00, '05, '10, and '16—each a legend, each mostly north of $700 today. In 2018, he walked away from it all.

Not to retire. To finally make wine his way.

Garnaud had been moonlighting at Canon Chaigneau since 1995, drawn to this 1564 estate across the creek, barely 2km from Pétrus. When British wine merchant Romik Arconian bought the property and offered him creative freedom, Garnaud jumped at the chance to work with this superb clay and limestone terroir, and 460 years of history.

The Romans grew vines here 2,000 years ago. The terroir on the Néac plateau mirrors Pomerol's greatest sites, with the same  “sticky” clay that plays a part in Pétrus, and the same limestone backbone that defines La Conseillante. 

Garnaud's philosophy is simply to let the vines talk. No extraction games. No alcoholic fruit bombs. Traditional cement tanks for fermentation. Old oak and 30% new barrels for aging. Canon Chaigneau tastes like Right Bank royalty because, well, it is.

Why You'll Love It

• Classed-Growth Institutional Knowledge: Garnaud's fingerprints are unmistakable. That “iron fist in velvet glove” delivery he perfected at Cheval Blanc is right there in this glass.
  

• Ready tonight, better tomorrow: Unlike those $700 trophies, this drinks beautifully now. But with Garnaud's touch, it'll cruise through 2035.
  

• Critical Consensus: When Galloni, Martin, and Dunnuck all endorse a $30 wine, you know something special is afoot. They describe a gregarious, fruit-driven Merlot, and they’re spot-on.

How to Serve It

• Serve at 58-62°F after a 30-minute decant.
  

• Drink now through 2035.
  

• Perfect with rack of lamb, a steakhouse burger, duck confit, or aged Comté.