Now that I find myself in the “retired wine merchant category”, I confess that I miss the business trips, even though I never succeeded in evoking any pity for myself regarding such busy and exhausting travels!

I also miss meeting winemaking families and so was delighted to attend a tasting with James Sichel last week. He and his four brothers are closely involved with Chateau Angludet that their family purchased in 1961.

This property in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux is surrounded by estates that were included in the historic classification of the best in 1855 and would have almost certainly been chosen if it was not broken up at that time, as part of an inheritance settlement. Sixty-one estates were selected from many thousands – there are still about 7,000 overall.

James told us that Angludet received the Demeter Certificate for Biodynamic production in 2022, but as this process takes a few years to establish, I can honestly say that most of the older wines that we stock were managed under this system. James told us about plentiful butterflies, bumblebees and other insects when he was a child growing up at Angludet. Gradually they died out as insecticides, pesticides and herbicides were employed but now after quite a few years of organic/biodynamic farming they are back! Mother Nature is happy.

Chateau Palmer is co-owned by the Sichel family and one other family. This chateau was classified a Third Growth in 1855. Four were First Growths and the overall list has only changed once in 1973 when Mouton Rothschild moved from Second to First. There are 14 Second, 14 Third Growths, ten Fourth and 18 Fifth today. I like the often used: “Palmer is the most expensive Third Growth but the least Expensive First Growth”. More on that in a moment but for now let’s just have a few short reviews of the wines that we have.

2017 La Dame d’ Angludet is the second wine of Angludet and is normally produced by using the younger vines - this one is not normal. 2017 was a difficult year in Bordeaux and so the family elected to not make any Angludet and instead selected their very best grapes to produce this sumptuous and ethereal wine. Look for ripe plums, blackberries, raspberries, mint and cedar. Very easy to drink. $49.00. Stock #9626.

2014 Chateau Angludet earns this from The Wine Enthusiast: “This is a wine that brings out all the bright fruit of the vintage. It has classic blackcurrant flavours and crisp acidity. The tannins are a firm supporting act to this wine that will develop well over the medium term. 91/100.” $77.00. Stock #9591.

2016 Chateau Angludet is described by Decanter Magazine as: “The ever-popular Angludet is a success again this year. Maybe not better than the excellent 2015, but who’s complaining when there is this depth of fruit and presence. As it opens in the glass, you really start to see and enjoy the sheer quality on display. Cassis, coffee bean, beautiful richness to the fruit, and well held together by freshness and tannin”. $95.00. Stock #9643.

2010 Angludet was a winner this morning and so ready to enjoy. In fact, this is what the Wine Advocate had to say back in 2013. “A major sleeper of the vintage, as I thought from the barrel several years ago, the 2010 is one of the best d’Angludets I have tasted. It should drink nicely for 15 to 20 years, but there is no reason to defer your gratification. It is a sexy, up-front, precociously styled d’Angludet with a deep purple colour, loads of floral notes intermixed with liquorice, blueberry, black raspberry and, of course, the classic creme de cassis. It is dense, ripe, soft, round and surprisingly accessible for a 2010. A beauty”. $112.00. Stock #9709.

The Wine Enthusiast rates 2018 Chateau Angludet 93/100 and writes: “In this ripe, classic wine, the tannins and blackcurrant fruit are equally important. Warm tannins are underlined by the fruitiness and richness of Cabernet Sauvignon, giving the wine a fine, medium-term future”. $117.75. Stock #9714.

We tasted the 2018 Chateau Palmer this morning and to sum it up: “WOW! A baby, but what a baby.” To be a little more precise I will quote Neal Martin of Vinous.com who gave it a perfect 100/100. “The 2018 Palmer is a legend in the making. I had an inkling out of the barrel, but such was its intensity that I wanted to assess it in a bottle before I felt confident in saying so, because this could have gone either way. It storms from the glass with black fruit and floral scents, crushed violet and incense that knock your senses sideways while retaining brilliant delineation and focus. This audacious Palmer was still revving its engines 48 hours after opening. Drink 2030-2070.” $755.00.Stock #9718.

I notice that the Discovery Wines store on the corner of Reid and Queen streets in town has some 2010 Palmer, stock # 9599. This gets 98+ from Robert Parker so could age to a perfect 100. It costs $610.00 and now let me explain the “Highest priced Third Growth and lowest priced First” saying. Chateau Latour is a First Growth, and like Palmer it is now biodynamic. I see that the 2010 vintage lists for £1,385.50 in London, or about $1,675.00. The virtually perfect 2010 Palmer is less than half the price!

I asked James two questions. Firstly, why do they not put the Demeter certified biodynamic symbol on their back labels of Palmer and Angludet? He said that they were considering this but did not want it to seem to be a marketing tool, as their main purpose was to be good caretakers of their land.

Secondly, did he agree with my thought that organic practices did no harm to the environment, but biodynamic also did this, as well as restore and heal the land? He said that their main desire was to be as close to nature as they could, such as the butterflies, bumblebees and insects of his youth. Could you imagine bringing back the cicadas and land crabs, even toads of my youth on our Island!

• This column is a paid-for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. and Discovery Wines & Spirits written by Michael Robinson. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm. Burrows Lightbourn stores are located in Hamilton (Front Street East. 295-1554) and Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355). Discovery Wines & Spirits stores are located in Hamilton (Corner of Queen & Reid Street, 232-0090) and Pembroke (Bakery Lane, 296-9463). A selection of its wines, beers and spirits are available online at discoverywines.bm