Chateau Auney l'Hermitage, Graves Rouge, 2016

Graves is where Bordeaux started, the gravelly stretch south of the city that gave the region its name and its first serious reds. Auney l'Hermitage is a small estate there running the classic Left Bank playbook: a Merlot-led blend with Cabernet Sauvignon on gravel, aged in barrel, built for the dinner table rather than the auction room. 2016 was one of the strongest Bordeaux vintages in a decade, with a dry summer and cool nights producing wines with both structure and freshness. With some years behind it now, this shows cassis and dark plum edged with cedar, tobacco and graphite, the tannins settling nicely into place. Classic claret, no theatrics.