Château Aney Haut-Medoc 2015

From Kermit Lynch: Château Aney represents the only estate from the Left Bank of Bordeaux in our portfolio, and it’s no coincidence. In the heart of a landscape dominated by prestigious first growths—many of which are owned by banking groups and other multinational corporations—family-run Aney is an exception to the rule of big houses producing exorbitantly priced wines. Its situation, right in between Saint-Julien and Margaux in the heart of the Médoc, is favorable to making reds that mimic the character of many grands châteaux: the gravelly soils here are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, giving firmly structured wines with stony tannins capable of long-term aging. The top-notch terroir and consistent execution by the Raimond family has earned Aney “cru Bourgeois” status, a rank awarded to estates left out of the Classification of 1855 that nonetheless make classic wines of great quality and typicity. When we refer to an old-fashioned claret, this is exactly what we’re talking about. —An