[PLEASE NOTE: This wine is arriving from New York and will ship from our warehouse the week of January 14th.]

When discussing Clos Saint-André, there’s no choice but to start with the unbelievably small size of the property. For most of the year, Jean-Clade Desmarty’s work resembles home gardening as much as viticulture. Using his own hands and one horse, Desmarty carefully tends to a tiny parcel of 60-80 year-old vines that sit adjacent to his house. At harvest, Desmarty beckons a few friends and neighbors with the promise of a celebratory dinner, and the group completes his entire pick in about five hours while food is prepared. It’s a marvel to consider that Desmarty’s grapes travel less than 100 meters to his small garage winery (in baskets on the backs of those friends) where they are hand-sorted and naturally fermented in tank. There are no pumps or other winery technology—just capable hands and gravity. Today’s 2014 vintage spent about 18 months aging in French oak barriques, only a small percentage of which were new, and the final cépage is roughly 80% Merlot with the remainder a mix of of Cabernet Franc and (and quite rare, for Pomerol) Cabernet Sauvignon. Only a few hundred 750ml bottles of this wine make it to the US market each vintage, and it’s an honor to share some today!

With its silken tannins, ravishing plum and dark cherry fruit, and an entrancing black truffle/tobacco finish that lasts straight through until the next sip, there’s no disputing that 2014 marks yet another exceptional Pomerol for Clos Saint-André. Still, as with all top-tier Pomerol, this wine has seen some new oak and requires a little extra rest before it fully integrates. So, please stash this wine deep in your cellar for another year before the cork is pulled. After that, you can rest assured that it will sing—and only grow more expressive and profound—for at least another 10-15 years, if not many more. This is classically layered and intricate Pomerol and, as anyone who’s enjoyed a mature sip of Lafleur or Pétrus will attest, this village’s best wines age like no other. So, when the time comes, decant for one hour and serve in large Bordeaux stems alongside a hearty winter dish like braised lamb shanks with white beans. This bottle has all the elegance and refinement, so don’t hesitate to go a little rustic with the menu!