Château Jean Faure, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (Bordeaux, France) 2018

 Château Jean Faure resides in a swanky neighborhood with Cheval Blanc and La Dominque nearby.  The wine estate consists of over 47 acres located on the Right Bank of Bordeaux at the border of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.  Merlot is the primary grape in the region, but this Château grows more Cabernet Franc, 50 percent, with 45 percent Merlot and five percent Malbec.  Marie-Laure Latorre is the General Manager of the estate.  She explained in a recent webinar that Cabernet Franc “gives a lot of fresh fruit in the aromas and in the mouth, soft tannins and the most important thing that you notice is the freshness.”  The wine displays a dark ruby color with a purple-pink tint in the rim.  Forward spicey black cherry cassis aroma and flavors of red and black cherry, mingle with dusty mineral notes.  It has a medium body supported by smooth, integrated tannins.  It does indeed display freshness that will be welcome at any table, especially with grilled lamb chops.