Château Larrivet Haut-Brion 2021

Not many châteaux can take on the big players and win, but Haut-Brion Larrivet did just that. In 1929 it won a legal battle against First Growth Haut-Brion to keep its name, the only stipulation was that it be reversed so that Haut-Brion had less prominence, and so it was changed to Larrivet Haut-Brion. In fact, the addition of Brion refers to the local gravel, rather than the First Growth, which lies much further north. Since 1987, the Gervoson family have been in charge - perhaps best known for their affiliation with Bonne Maman jams - and they have worked hard to revitalise the estate: since 2015 the style has changed to a much brighter, more silky style. Larrivet Haut-Brion sits on the same gravelly ridge as Haut Bailly and the 75 hectares of vines grow both red and white varieties. Unusually for the Left Bank, Merlot makes up the majority with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon also grown.