Château Paradis Casseuil Sélection Spéciale
The vintage
2018 will no doubt be one of Bordeaux’s great vintages, despite some particularly capricious weather: an exceptionally rainy winter and spring resulted in an unprecedented threat of mildew, the like of which had not been seen in living memory; May and July then brought devastating hailstorms that destroyed up to 80% of some vineyards. Fortunately, the situation improved dramatically over the summer, which was the hottest since 2003. Conditions were ideal for the grapes to ripen: the contrast between warm, sunny days and cool nights resulted in good aromatic concentration and an excellent balance of sugar and acidity. The wines from the cool clay soils of the Entre-Deux-Mers are generous, deep in colour, with more alcohol than in 2017 but retaining their freshness.
Location
Entre-deux-Mers vineyard rests on the hillsides located between the two rivers South East of Bordeaux : the Dordogne and the Garonne.
Terroir
Nestled amidst the rolling hills of Sainte Foy la Longue, in the heart of Entre-deux-Mers, Château Paradis Casseuil offers an elegant expression of Merlot, which is particularly suited to its chalky-clay and fossil-rich limestone soils. It is blended with Carbernet Sauvignon coming from well exposed gravel slopes.
Winemaking
This wine is made according to traditional methods in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation was followed by 10-15 days maceration at 28°C allowing for a gentle extraction of colour and tannins. Maceration times and pumping over were adjusted for each batch. 60% of the blend is wooded, in order to achieve its exceptional balance between elegance and fruitiness.
Grapes
Tasting
Beautiful, deep crimson-purple colour.
Intense, complex nose, combining scents of spices and ripe fruit with subtle oaky notes.
Full, rich and balanced on the palate, this wine has a fresh, aromatic finish.
