Graves
The vintage
Despite particularly capricious weather conditions, 2018 will undoubtedly go down as one of the Bordeaux region’s great vintages. An exceptionally rainy winter and spring resulted in one of the worst threats of mildew in living memory, there were also violent hailstorms in May and July that destroyed 80% of the crop in some vineyards. Fortunately, the situation improved dramatically over the summer, which was the hottest since 2003. Conditions were then 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.
Location
The Graves appellation is the closest to the city Bordeaux, stretching South East from the city on a long strip of land on the left bank of the Garonne river.
Terroir
The terroir of Graves is made of gravel, clay and fossil-rich limestone so typical of the Bordeaux region. It is the only one to have given its name to the appellation itself ! Its situation is ideal, protected from the bad weather by the Landes forrest to the South, whilst the proximity to the Garonne prevents it from drought.
The round pebbles that gave their names top the appellation help retain the heat for a long and steady maturation of the grapes.
Winemaking
Vinification was carried out according to traditional Bordeaux methods, with destemming and crushing of the grapes before fermentation in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel vats. Fermentation took place at 28°C, and was followed by two weeks of maceration with regular pumping over to ensure a gentle, gradual extraction of the tannins. After malolactic fermentation, 20% of the wine was transferred to French oak barrels to be aged for 12 months.
Grapes
Tasting
Beautiful deep ruby red colour.
The nose is subtle and elegant, blending balsamic aromas of liquorice and caramel with notes of graphite and black pepper.
On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and harmonious, expressing a pleasant sweetness on the attack. The tannins are refined and silky, while the finish is long and aromatic with notes of candied liquorice.
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