Chateau St. Jean's flagship Cinq Cepages is positively brilliant in 2015. Fresh, nuanced and classy, it shows a much more refined style than was the norm here just a few years ago. There is plenty of the depth and textural intensity readers have come to expect from Cinq Cepages, but the heavy torrefaction notes and pushed extractions that sometimes plagued this wine seem to be a thing of the past. A fabulous effort from winemaker Margo Van Staaveren.

The 2015 Cinq Cepages Proprietary Red Wine is made up of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 63% new French oak. It has a very deep purple-black color and opens with crème de cassis, warm plums and blackberry pie notes plus nuances of lavender, Provence herbs and spice box with touches of cedar and menthol. The palate is medium-bodied and wonderfully elegant in the mouth with plenty of vivacity to the fruit and a finely played, grainy frame, finishing long and lively.

Direct, featuring a polished beam of mocha, cherry and plum notes that meld easily through the soft, tobacco-tinged finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 3,253 cases made.