Nose
The CG Cross bouquet is marked by notes of mint and spices.
Palate
Fond and sleek attack. In the mouth, the body has a little fat and is well supported by its tannins that are in symbiosis with the structure. The latter gives a nice freshness and carries the fruit until the end of the mouth. A nice wine that still deserves a little guard but that we can nevertheless already savor.
Growing Conditions
Extravagant in the image of the sun which reigned almost without sharing on the vines during the three summer months. And the Indian summer of Bordeaux Extravagant as a vintage that is already surprising and simply exceptional.
Three months of summer without water: from memory of winemaker, we had never seen this! If the flowering went well despite a high spring rainfall, the weather has settled in the last week of June, and, very rare, has stopped until the harvest!
The month of July was sunny but rather cool with cold nights. At the end of July, the ocean temperature was much lower than the average temperatures and the whole month was very dry. August saw the temperatures climb with a few days of heatwave, beyond 35 degrees. However, the night/day amplitude remained significant, with no severe heatwave episodes as in 2003, throughout the month, which favoured the aromatic expression of the grapes and the maintenance of the natural acidity of the fruit. In addition there is almost no rain, 5 to 8 mm, which is nothing or the bare minimum to allow the plant to hydrate. This is when the very young vines begin to suffer. On the other hand, older vines, especially those on clay and/or limestone soils, resist beautifully. We bring down all the grapes of the vines of 3 years from the end of July.
In addition to 35 years, it's also the first year without thunderstorms on July 14th and August 15th!
In September, the summer continued and with it the warmth: temperatures of 28, 30 degrees daily. By mid-September, a big storm is turning into a benefactor rain. This water from the sky comes to restore energy, strength and respiration to the vineyard. Then the good weather comes back very quickly. The ripening of the tannins takes place slowly and the first harvest begins for the great wines at the end of September. The freshness of the summer nights preserved the aromas and acidity. The climatic conditions of the last two weeks of September made 2016 an extravagant vintage. The harvest began at the end of September as well as in the average but extended until mid-October.
The wines obtained are concentrated, straight with fatty tannins and a juicy fruit. The great vintage is confirmed!
Appearance
Red Garnet.
