Anseillan
The vintage
The vintage got off to a good start with a mild, dry winter. The fine weather continued at the beginning of spring, resulting in an early vegetative start. In April and May, the weather was colder than usual and especially dry, slowing down the growth of the vegetation which quickly lost its advance. The first flowers appear in our Pauillac vines on 28 May. This key stage in the cycle was somewhat capricious with rainy spells arriving in the second half of the flowering period, leading to some coulure and millerandage. The month of June, after a rainy and cool start, saw a change of scene with the arrival of a heat wave at the beginning of the summer, the likes of which had not been seen since 2003. Fortunately, it was short-lived and the vines, which were catching up, seemed better equipped than in previous years to face this heat. The miracle of water arrived on July 26th: 45 millimetres fell in Pauillac, perfect for triggering the veraison. The temperatures in August remained very mild, without any heat peak and with a few scattered showers which made us fear the arrival of botrytis for a moment, but the drier end of the month, which lasted until mid-September, allowed us to start the harvest serenely from the 21st to the 23rd for the Merlot and until the 4th of October for the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Location
Pauillac is located on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, approximately 40km North of Bordeaux. With the tempering influence of the estuary and a great diversity of soils originated from both the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, Pauillac boasts exceptional climatic and geological conditions to make outstanding wines.
Terroir
The village of Anseillan lies to the east of Lafite Rothschild, between the Château and the Gironde. This area presents a wide variety of terroirs which are the subject of much thought and research. Cooler and later because of their northern exposure, they are also more clayey than Lafite’s classic terroirs. This diversity is particularly interesting because it offers plots that are suited to all four of our main grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit, and Petit Verdot. This terroir and our teams’ work give Anseillan’s wine a unique style and excellent complexity.
Winemaking
Anseillan is made according to the traditional Bordeaux method. Alcoholic fermentation is conducted in wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats. Gentle pumping-over helps to ensure a soft extraction and is carried out according to the specific characteristics of each tank. Total maceration time lasts for about 20 days. After malolactic fermentation, wines are transfered into French oak barrels made by the Tonnelleries des Domaines in Pauillac for a period of 16 months approximately.
Grapes
Tasting
Beautiful colour, very young. Rich, intense and expressive nose, very characteristic of the vintage with its ripe and fresh notes. On the palate, the wine continues along the same lines: its attack is dense while remaining lively, it is powerful while being light. Already melted, the tannins are present and stretch the palate with length. Optimum in 2024-2030
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