Ch. L’Avocat is from the small commune of Cerons, which is located just north of Barsac and Sauternes in the southern Graves appellation. I met Nicola Allison at a small conference of Women from Bordeaux and Napa Valley in Napa earlier. She followed my advice by sending her wines to our hotel in April to be tasted, and Clyde and I liked them. I followed up by visiting the estate almost eight weeks later and was shown the gravely, plateau vineyards by her husband Sean, who manages the vines. The vineyards were purchased by the Allisons in 2002; the fruit was previously sold to Mouton Rothschild. At 300 feet above the Garrone river, the vineyards have stunning views of the lovely Côtes de Bordeaux, and this elevation is a key factor for great drainage, and the soil is loaded with different color gravels that impart the textbook minerality both their whites and reds feature. (Ralph Sands, K&L Bordeaux Expert)