The Gardens of Edina - Olivier Rivière - Cuvée Plaisir 2024
On the clay-limestone hillsides of the right bank, Les Jardins d'Édina is Olivier Rivière's Bordeaux project. Organic management, hand-picked grapes, and restrained vinifications result in precise, easy-to-drink reds focused on vibrant fruit and texture.
Plaisir 2024 is the estate's most immediate cuvée. A vintage with sustained freshness, ripeness picked to preserve crispness. Strict sorting upon receipt, majority destemming, infusion macerations with measured pumping over. Indigenous fermentation. Short aging in concrete vats and old tuns to polish the grain without marking the wine. Early bottling to preserve energy. Dry wine.
The nose opens with black cherry and fresh plum, enhanced by peony, a hint of graphite, and a hint of light cocoa. The palate is juicy and slender, medium-bodied, carried by crisp fruit and a fine chalky structure. The tannins are supple, the middle of the palate gains a velvety veil without heaviness. Clean and sapid finish, on morello cherry, sweet pepper, and a stony reminder that indicates limestone.
At the table, serve Plaisir 2024 with roast poultry, veal chop, filet mignon with herbs, grilled flank steak, or bistro dishes in a short sauce. It pairs well with a mature Comté or a Pyrenees Tomme. Ideal temperature 15 to 16°C in a tulip glass. Open 30 minutes before serving; a brief decanting may be considered to loosen the bouquet. Immediate enjoyment over three to five years depending on the cellar.
Grape varieties: Merlot 85%, Malbec 10%, Cabernet Franc 5%
