2012 Chateau Perron, Lalande de Pomerol

The result of a legendary vintage, this wine is a deep, brilliant ruby red and wonderfully concentrated, with garnet tints. The generous nose offers elegant notes of overripe Merlot, with a floral touch (violets), a hint of ink and well-bred oak, and slight vanilla flavours resulting from ageing in barrels of excellent quality.

Having been in the Massonie family for three generations, Perron is now the responsibility of Betrand Massonie, whose drive, passion, technical skill, and respect for the property's exceptional terroir have contributed massively to its recent renaissance. One of the top wines in the appellation and a rising star of the Right Bank.

Situated on the edge of the village of Lalande de Pomerol, Château Perron dates back to 1647 and is one of the oldest properties in the appellation. It has belonged to the Massonie family for three generations and was, until the late 1990s, run by, the well-known and well respected, Michel Massonie, who not only founded the wine brotherhood of Lalande de Pomerol and was its first Bailli but who is also the current President of the Grand Conseil des Vins de Bordeaux. In 1999, Michel Massonie's son, Bertrand, took over the day-to-day management of the property

Perron's tiny vineyard is looked after with all the care that one might devote to a garden. The soil in between the rows of vines is either turned over or grassed over. De-budding takes place in April or May, and in June or July, the eastern facing vines are de-leafed and the vines, in general, are thinned out. The vineyard is protected from disease and pests according to the lutte raisonnée principles that dictate only using the minimum quantity of products and only when necessary. Picking is done entirely by hand and the gapes are sorted manually when they arrive at the vat house. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Each plot is vinified separately and vatting takes between 3 to 5 weeks. Château Perron is aged in French oak barrels (30% new each year) from a selection of the country's top coopers.