Saint-Estèphe
The vintage
Weather for the 2020 vintage was capricious, with a very mild winter encouraging an early bud break. The spring was very wet and rainy, causing coulure in some grape varieties and a significant threat of downy mildew. During the summer, a heat wave checked the grapes’ ripening, particularly on the left bank with its gravelly, permeable soil. The right bank fared better with its more clayey soil that retains moisture. The harvests in 2020 were historically early, starting on 24 August for the white grapes. The difficult weather conditions gave our technicians a hard time, but professionalism and patience enabled us to produce a fresh, aromatic wine.
Location
The Saint-Estèphe appellation covers 1230 hectares of gravelly alluvium, a few miles north of Pauillac. It is the most northerly of the six Médoc single-commune AOCs.
Terroir
The Saint-Estèphe terroir is characterized by gravelly soil on top of limestone or marl rich in oyster shells, with a higher clay content than in the more southerly appellations. The result is wines with a distinctive character, generally more acidic, and rich in tannins, with a very high ageing potential.
Winemaking
Cold pre-fermentation maceration for 50% of the batches enabled good extraction of colour and aromas. Traditional fermentation was then carried out in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats at 28°C with daily pumping-over. The total maceration period was three weeks. The wine was then aged in barrels for 12 months.
Grapes
Tasting
Beautiful dark garnet colour.
Seductive, complex bouquet, with intense aromas of cocoa, vanilla and blackberries. Smoky notes develop with swirling.
On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, elegant and harmonious, with good freshness on the finish and excellent length.
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