Nose

It offers vibrant red currants, black cherries, wild blueberries, earth and mineral characteristics to begin, with slowly unfurling floral notes of violets and dried roses plus compelling bakers chocolate and fragrant earth layers.

Palate

Medium to full-bodied, generously fruited and possessing firm yet very, very fine-grained, mind-blowingly ripe tannins, the multifaceted palate features something of a skip in its step in terms of freshness, while it goes beguilingly earthy on the finish with some mineral hints. Very classy, elegant and sophisticated, this vintage is downright regal in its juxtaposition between poise and audaciousness. Think 2005 Palmer with a tick more fruit intensity, perfume and passion.

Growing Conditions

Years ending in five – with the notable exception of 1965 – have always produced top-quality wines. And 2015 should prove no exception, as favourable weather conditions allowed the grapes to be harvested when perfectly ripe.

Since 1945, only the 1965 vintage wasn’t up to the quality of the vintages ending in 5. So we were “statistically” expecting an excellent harvest in 2015. And we haven’t been disappointed... The beginning of the vine’s growing season was characterised by a relatively dry climate. The vegetative development was extremely regular and the flowering conditions perfect. The rainfall that followed the fertilisation of the flowers enabled good berry growth. At the end of June, temperatures rose and the dry weather settled, favouring an early end to vegetative growth, the thickening of the skins of the berries, the concentration of the tannins and the rapid growth of the pips. End of July, the weather conditions changed radically as we were faced with a succession of rainy periods. The grapes developed to reach a more classic size. The Margaux appellation enjoyed especially favourable weather conditions throughout September.

Harvest

We harvested a few young vines of Merlot on 15th September,
but the harvest started in earnest on 22nd September and ended on 7th October.

Winemaking

The relatively high alcoholic content of the 2015 vintage is balanced out by a dense tannic structure without any rustic notes, thanks to perfect phenolic maturity of the pips and skins. At this time, this outstanding balance leads us to believe that 2015 will be in line with recent great vintages, such as 2010, 2009 and 2005.

Appearance

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored.