The yields in 2010 were virtually nothing – a mere 12 hectoliters per hectare – and the wine, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc is a big, powerful, full-bodied, rich wine that in many ways reflects the generous cuisine of this famous bistro. Full-bodied, with a dense opaque/purple color and notes of creosote, truffle, blackberry and black raspberry, the wine also has a floral note and hints of crushed rock, giving it a certain minerality. The precision of the 2010 is there because of good acidity. Forget this dense, back-strapping, intense wine for 4-5 years and drink it over the following two decades. It tips the scales at 14.7 % natural alcohol.
From the proprietors of the famous Paris bistro founded in 1924, L’Ami Louis, Chateau Louis is the renamed estate formerly called Rol de Fombrauge, purchased in 2006 by the late Thierry de La Brosse. It is a tiny estate of just over 10 acres, with vines averaging just over 45 years.