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We've compared bottles from Saint Emilion before (most recently in March 2020), but this time we decided to open it up and include any wine from Bordeaux's right bank. While four people ended up bringing a Saint Emilion, a Fronsac and a Pomerol were also included.

Having some bottle age was somewhat of an advantage this time, with the winner having 13 years on it, and the runner-up being a decade old.

The winning bottle finished with the maximum score of 36 (the unanimous choice), but all bottles showed well this evening, each having enjoyable qualities and good balance.

Some photography by Andy.

First Place: Domaine Chante Alouette Cormeil 2012 (Saint Emilion). Slightly more brown in color. Tasters found a complex nose of caramel, cedar, roasted nuts, singed rosemary, campfire, red apple, cranberry, and vanilla bean. Tasted older, with a lovely, caressing texture. Ali began with, "Oh my ... that just made me totally slow down." Beautiful and harmonious. It was hard to pick out individual elements because it had such an integrated composition. Josephine called it a "mature gentleman." This was the top choice of all six tasters, for a total of 36 points. Josephine's bottle. About $40.

Second Place: Château Quinault l'Enclos 2015 (Saint Emilion). Herbal on the nose, like dried tarragon or herbs de Provence, plus eucalyptus and a saline quality. Umami notes of soy sauce and shitake mushroom. Really explodes on the palate, like a wave, offering complex flavors of truffles, kombu, iodine, and squid ink, then licorice on the finish. Savory. 17 points. David's bottle. About $50.

Third Place: Château La Fleur des Rouzes 2020 (Pomerol). Aromas of blueberry, wet stone, powdered sugar, slightly burnt vanilla, eucalyptus, marzipan, white chocolate, and burnt sugar. Jamie noted, "It's an ingenue." Smooth and silky in texture, with good focus, purity, and intensity. Dark finish, having notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and dried orange peel. Tannic. A bit of a roller coaster. 14 points. Alil's bottle. About $32.

Château Moulin Haut Villars 2018 (Fronsac). Pretty nose, featuring scents of prune, lavender, violets, dark plum, and singed licorice. Gets a little dustier, along with notions of cedar wood and pine tree. Jamie felt that, "This is what I think velvet would smell like." Raw beef blood, vanilla, and black pepper on the palate, along with freshly brewed coffee and licorice on the long finish. David felt that it tasted "like a hot cast iron pan." 7 points. Jamie's bottle. About $25.

Château Haut Veyrac 2018 (Saint Emilion). Very concentrated color. A little medicinal on the nose, hinting at Comet cleanser, Band Aid, mulberry, and fresh laundry. Voluminous and plump mid-palate, offering generous flavors of plums and black cherries, but also brighter acidity. Espresso on the finish. Ali detected "green Nyquil", while Jo noted that it "teases you with one thing and then goes 'nope'." 6 points. Kristin's bottle. About $43.

Poesia 2022 (Saint Emilion). Somewhat funky on the nose, suggesting overturned earth, truffles, dark mushroom, and a distant farm. Also, rubber eraser, blackberry, wild berry, burnt caramel, and molassas. Dark, brooding, and brambly. David noticed "sweaty Frenchman." Brighter on the palate, having flavors of raspberry, clove, and hazelnut, with a beautiful, smooth texture and youthful energy. Refined tannins. Friendly. Andy felt that "it's a good teenager." 4 points. Andy's bottle. About $40.