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AOC Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

The vintage

2021 will remain in the memory of winegrowers as one of the most difficult to master in the last thirty years: patience and investment were necessary until the late harvest. The historic spring frost, which hit the whole of the French vineyard, led to a historically low harvest in Bordeaux, as in 1991 and 2017 (-25% on average). The cool, wet summer favoured the development of diseases, especially mildew, whose pressure was unprecedented. Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape variety of the vintage in Bordeaux because it benefited greatly from the good weather of the second half of September and the beginning of October, favouring its maturity. 2021 marks the return of an "old-fashioned" vintage, with moderate alcohol levels and very different balances (alcohol/acidity) from the last solar vintages (2018 and 2020).

Location

Pauillac is located 40km North of Bordeaux on the left bank of the Gironde estuary.

Terroir

Les Légendes R Pauillac is sourced from some of the best vineyards in Pauillac. Three of the five First Growth of the 1855 classification are from this famous appellation. Sitting on a beautiful gravelly hilltop, it provides the perfect ripening conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in voluptuous, well-structured wines.

Winemaking

This wine is made using traditional method. The grapes are destemmed and crushed before being placed in thermoregulated stainless steel vats for fermentation. Fermentation is conducted at 30°C and is followed by 4 weeks of maceration with regular pumping-over to ensure a good extraction of tannins and color. After malolactic fermentation, 60% of the wine is transferred into French oak barrels coming from the Lafite cooperage, for a period of 12 months.

Grapes

60 %
Cabernet sauvignon
40 %
Merlot

Tasting

Beautiful purple colour with good intensity
The nose is elegant, intense and aromatic, combining black cherry and blackcurrant aromas with discreet woody notes. Ample and fleshy on the attack, with a robust tannic structure and a long fresh and aromatic finish (red fruits). Best drunk within 3 to 5 years.

More about the domain

See Lafite’s website

Lafite.com

Meet the family on Instagram

Instagram

Légende R