Chateau Rahoul Graves Rouge / 2023 / 375mL

Description:

Château Rahoul Graves Rouge 2023 is a classically proportioned Bordeaux red from the Graves, medium-bodied and savoury rather than showy. It carries the gravelly, earthy signature the appellation is known for, with dark fruit held in check by firm structure.

Aromas lean towards blackcurrant and plum, with cedar, dried tobacco leaf and a trace of graphite underneath. There is a faint leafy note in the background that keeps the fruit from feeling heavy.

The palate is dry and well framed, with blackberry and cassis running through a tight line of tannin. Texture is fine-grained and a little chalky, acidity keeps the middle fresh, and the finish is long, dry and faintly smoky, with the fruit receding to leave earth and spice behind.

Roast lamb with rosemary is the obvious match, though it does just as well with a rare steak, duck breast, mushroom ragù over soft polenta, or a plate of hard cheeses at the end of a meal. Give it half an hour in a decanter if you are opening it young.

Drinking well from 2026 and should hold comfortably through to around 2035, with the tannins softening and the secondary earthy, tobacco characters coming more to the front over the next five to seven years.