Chateâu Rocher Gardat Montagne-Saint-Emilion

Château Rocher Gardat 2022 is a Merlot and Cabernet Franc red from Montagne-Saint-Émilion, just northeast of Saint-Émilion on Bordeaux's Right Bank. At 13% alcohol it is medium-bodied and fresh, with plum, blackberry, gentle spice and a touch of toasty oak, a silky texture and a bright sour-cherry finish. Enjoy it now with lamb or game, or keep it for a few years as it develops. Delivered across Ontario.

The producer

The Moze-Berthon family has owned vineyards since 1820, and this property has been theirs since 1880. Patrick Moze-Berthon runs the family estates in Montagne-Saint-Émilion and Pomerol with his elder son Mikael, the seventh generation, who makes the wine.

The vineyards

The vines sit in a spot called Gardat, above quarries more than 300 years old whose stone built the cellars of nearby châteaux, which gives the wine its name: rocher means rock. Merlot dominates, with Cabernet Franc in support.

How it's made

The vineyard is farmed in the traditional way, and the wine is sealed with a cork.

How it tastes

The nose brings plums, blackberry and mild spice over toasty oak. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and fruity, with a silky feel that carries through to a slightly tart sour-cherry finish.

How to serve it

Lovely with roast lamb, steak, roast chicken or game birds. Drink over the next 8 years; it will keep developing for the next few.