Region: Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

Varietal: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot

Tasting Notes: The 2010 Closerie du Pelan opens with an earthy, autumnal perfume—dried currant, tobacco leaf, crushed stone, and forest floor. On the palate, it’s firm yet harmonious, with dark-toned fruit, a mineral spine, and well-resolved tannins that carry through a long, savory finish. Mature and contemplative, this wine captures the grace of time and a place unbothered by fashion.

Producer: Tucked into the hills of the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux, Closerie du Pelan is one of the region’s great rediscoveries—a quiet counterpoint to the glossier estates of the Médoc. Originally purchased in the 1980s by Régis Moro, the domaine became known for its steadfast dedication to natural farming and traditional winemaking at a time when Bordeaux was leaning increasingly toward modernity. The estate was managed organically from the start and fully certified by 2008. After a short period of dormancy in the mid-2010s, the property was revived by the Moro family in partnership with the Amoreau family of Château Le Puy, reinforcing its reputation as a producer of soulful, terroir-driven wines. The 2010 vintage marks the end of the first chapter in the estate’s history and stands as a benchmark of its classical aesthetic.

Vineyard & Winemaking: The vineyards at Closerie du Pelan lie at elevation on clay-limestone slopes, surrounded by forest and farmed with zero chemical intervention since its founding. At the time of the 2010 harvest, the estate’s red vines were planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller proportions of Merlot and Petit Verdot. Yields were kept low, and fruit was harvested by hand before undergoing spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine was then aged in used oak barrels—never new—and bottled without fining or filtration. This low-intervention approach reflects a deep commitment to expressing the character of the site rather than the signature of the cellar.