Nose

A bouquet of powerful notes of toast and spices. The 2016 Chemin Royal has an intense, quite generous bouquet with blackberry, boysenberry and crushed
violet aromas, the new oak here is nicely integrated.

Palate

Complemented by a ripe fruitiness. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, plenty of
graphite infused black fruit and a tightly wound and persistent finish that offers plenty of grip.

Growing Conditions

Original climatic conditions gave the vintage its character:A sweet and humid period from January to June 2016: More than 800 mm fall in 6 months (equivalent of 12 months of precipitation). The vineyard takes the opportunity to grow well.Mid-June, a favorable weather window allows the flower to happen in good conditions. The month of June marks the beginning of a dry and very hot summer: Three months of summer without water. Our clay-limestone subsoil have been beneficial in avoiding to our vines the water stress that could have been induced by these conditions.A beautiful autumn allows to reach the optimal maturity. Warm, sunny days and cool nights that refine the tannins allow us to harvest until October 17th.

- Sustainable viticulture : Terra Vitis
- Soil type: Gravelly Pyrenean soil and clayey-limestone soil
- Area: 6 hectares

The vines are cultivated according to environmentally friendly
growing practices, respecting both the plant and its environment. Vine care
constantly ensures that a balance is maintained between the plant and its
environment in view of achieving well-aired foliage and a regular load of grapes,
which gradually ripen in the sunshine. Depending on their nature, the parcels
are ploughed or grassed over between the rows.

Harvest

25th September to 8th October
- Yield: 43 hl/ha

Winemaking

Alcoholic fermentations were made by focusing on the extraction of the fruit. The wines are colorful, have a beautiful structure with soft tannins, suggesting a very nice evolution in bottle.The mouth is full, both lively, round and melted.

A strict selection of the parcels and the grapes takes
place during the harvest. After a gentle crushing and destemming of the grapes,
the must is put into small-thermoregulated vats ensuring that the fermentations
are perfectly controlled, bringing out the expression, the richness and the
nuances of each plot. The vatting period lasts 20 to 25 days depending on the
vintage.

Aging

Maturing lasts around 12 months in merrian oak barrels, a 1/3 of which
are replaced each year. We then undertake the final blending before bottling at
the chateau.

- 30% new oak barrels

Appearance

Deep red, it catches the eye.