Nose
It opens with intense aromas of candied fruits, honey and spice.
Palate
Rich and unctuous on the palate, it retains lovely delicacy and is perfectly balanced. The fresh, long finish has a lively citrus twist to round it off.
Growing Conditions
Château Laville has 14 hectares of vineyard in Sauternes, in the commune of Preignac, on gravel soils underpinned with limestone. The best plots are used to make the Grand Vin of Laville. The vines are approximately 35 years old.
2013 saw conditions for the development of noble rot that were picture perfect. The poor spring conditions made flowering difficult for vineyards in Sauternes. But things began to improve with the warm July and August. The humid conditions coupled with foggy mornings experienced in September and October were perfect for the onset of noble rot with all the main grape varieties, Semillon , Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle . The harvest started slowly, beginning at the end of September. It took a few more weeks before the noble rot began seriously attacking the grapes. When October rolled around, botrytis was in full bloom in Sauternes, which was thrilling to producers. The October rains brought some dilution to the grapes, but the combination of ripe fruit and botrytis led to a successful 2013 Sauternes vintage.
Harvest
Jean-Christophe passes through the vineyard five times to ensure that only the most botrytis-ravaged, or nobly rotten, grapes are selected.
Winemaking
The grapes were pressed using pneumatic and vertical hydraulic presses. Fermentation took place at 20-22°C, in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.
Aging
The wine was subsequently aged in new 400 litre French oak casks for 30 months.
Appearance
A bright, golden wine.
