Nose
Reflecting the high proportion of Merlot, the nose opens on intense, almost jammy red fruit aromas mingled with mouth-watering vanilla and roast coffee notes.
Palate
Powerful and full-bodied on the palate, this is a perfectly structured wine with young, crisp fruit. Forward freshness gives great vigour to the tannic structure and contributes to the overall balance of a wine with a powerful and flavourful finish which augurs well for its ageing potential.
Growing Conditions
2008 will remain in the memory as a year of particularly changeable weather.
After a cool and wet spring (the temperature fell to around 0° C on 7 April), the weather turned more seasonal in June, but the vegetation cycle was running late.
July was sunny and dry but the summer continued with a dull August, increasing the need for careful vineyard supervision. However, rainfall in August was in line with the average; there was no water surplus and the water table remained at a level comparable with that of recent years.
A lack of sunshine in the first half of September heralded a difficult vintage. Fortunately, a magnificent Indian summer that began on 14 September and lasted until 20 October completely reversed the situation. Such excellent conditions before the harvest increased the alcoholic strength and enabled the grapes to achieve a very fine state of phenolic maturity.
Picking was delayed so that the grapes could ripen fully. The harvest took place between 2 and 15 October, the crop being in excellent condition.
Patience was needed for the 2008 harvest, and rigorous attention from vine to vinification. A quite unusual vintage, it has produced wines that nevertheless hold out the promise of remarkable quality.
Harvest
2 to 14 October
Appearance
The wine is a very dense red, shading to violet at the rim.
