Nose
Loads of barbecue smoke, licorice, incense, blackberry, new saddle leather and forest floor notes.
Palate
We found a nice concentration of phenolic compounds and perfectly ripe tannins. They are velvety and display beautiful volume on the palate.
Extraordinarily intense and full-bodied, with plenty of tannin..., this is going to be one of the longest-lived wines of 2008.
Growing Conditions
After cold and wet weather from mid-March to late June, this vintage was saved by the return of the sun, which allowed the later-maturing grapes to ripen quietly and harmoniously.
After a mild and dry late winter season, budburst was delayed by a cold spell that set in from mid-March to late April. May was very rainy. Flowering took place in June under particularly unfavorable conditions, which caused widespread coulure. The mildew pressure was constant this year. The weather in July plays an essential role in the synthesis of phenolic compounds and it was a beautiful month. Summer started off nicely from the very beginning, with a long period of relatively dry, beautiful weather lasting from 20th June to 10th August. The less favorable period that followed and lasted until 14th September made us forget those weeks, all the more so because we had to fight off diseases. The cold, wet conditions in August and early September gave way suddenly and unexpectedly to a very sunny dry spell, as a northern wind set in from 14th September on, drying out the pockets of botrytis. We were able to wait for the late maturities to complement each other, with no major sanitary concerns. The nights were cool. This lent itself to a gentle, harmonious maturation, which brings out in turn a very elegant aromatic expressiveness.
Winemaking
The Merlot displayed unexpectedly high levels of concentration, with degrees between 13.5° and 14.5°. The sugar content of the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes hovered as usual around 12° and 12.5°.
Appearance
A dense, purple-colored wine.
