Nose
At Bottling: Expressive nose with notes of fruit underscored by a hint of caramel.
Palate
At Bottling: Good attack on the palate. Delicate and silky, this is a beautifully rounded, well-balanced wine.
Long, pleasantly uniform finish.
Growing Conditions
After a fairly mild winter, there were two nights of severe frost in the spring, on 26 and 27 April, which caused major damage to Bordeaux’s vineyards. Five hectares were affected among the colder parts of Duhart-Milon’s vineyard. Conditions then became excellent, with higher than usual temperatures, and balanced, well-spaced rainfall. Flowering was early, and by mid-June the fruit had set almost two weeks earlier than usual. After some heavy rain at the end of June, temperatures remained lower than normal throughout the summer, without ever becoming cold. This meant that the vines gradually returned to a normal calendar, and ripening was able to take place slowly in ideal conditions until mid-September, when the harvests began. A rainy spell, from 10 to 20 September disrupted the otherwise perfect weather, causing more concern than actual damage.
Winemaking
Over the course of a conventional 20-day fermentation and maceration period, the wines quickly confirmed their potential and fairly traditional character.
Aging
10 months in two-year-old barrels
Appearance
At Bottling: Bright, deep red colour.
