Yorick and Sophie Lavaud bought Domaine Les Carmels in 2010, converted it to organic farming, and began making one of the quiet gems of Bordeaux. It’s a short, simple story that belies the complexity of their wine. The vineyard is rare in Bordeaux for being on a hill in the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux region, a multicolored patchwork of clay, limestone, and gravel. Les Caprices is composed of two thirds Merlot, with descending proportions of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon for the rest, all from healthy, happy vines that reach at least 30 feet into the soil. The wine is made naturally, with sulfur added only at bottling. There are certain wines that have a definition of aroma and flavor similar to the feeling you get seeing a painting in person rather than a poster of it. There’s a sharper quality to the aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry fruit leather, and pepper smoked meat. You can feel the tensile strength of tannins on the palate, with rich raspberry and deep clay streaked earth that lingers gently yet firmly on the finish. This is a full-blooded Bordeaux best with a cut of steak, but a tender one.