70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Food pairings: Grilled meats or meats in sauce, roast leg of lamb, ribeye with Bordelaise sauce, duck breast, braised short ribs, mushroom risotto, and nutty cheeses like aged Gouda or Comté.

Winemaking: Grapes go into the vats by gravity, then get a cold soak and ferment in both oak and stainless-steel tanks. Extraction is tailored to each vat with pump-overs and délestage. The 2020 aged 16 months entirely in barrel, two-thirds new and one-third second fill.

Vineyards and terroir: About 55 hectares (135 acres) of 30-year-old vines grow on clay-limestone soils in Listrac-Médoc, where the nearby Atlantic brings freshness. This terroir suits Merlot, which is unusual as the lead grape in the Médoc. The vines are double-Guyot pruned, grassed between the rows and hand-harvested, and the estate has been HVE 3 certified since 2019.

History: Château Clarke is named for the Irish family who bought the estate in 1771. Baron Edmond de Rothschild acquired it in 1973, and the property was completely restructured, with major investment in the vineyard, buildings and cellars.

In the pictures: Two early-1900s postcards of Château Clarke in Listrac-Médoc: the château above its vineyards (photo: Henry Guillier, public domain) and the château seen down its tree-lined drive, captioned "Château Clarke et Merle Blanc" (photo: Charles Goulée, public domain).