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Wine Description
The Story
Terroir Soils are gravelous, either mixed with clay or with sand. This soil composition, combined with an exceptional exposure, confers all the typicity, elegance and finesse to château rouget wines.
Grape Varieties 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Planting Density 3 000 vines per acre / 7 500 vines per hectare
Average Age of Vines 40 years
Soil Management Vineyards are farmed sustainably, using practices such as cover crops and ploughing.
Harvests Grapes are manually picked and carefully transported in small 20 kg crates. Harvest occurs in several steps, in order to secure an optimal maturity level. Bunches are sorted a first time as soon as they arrive in the cellar. Then, once the grapes are fully destemmed, they go through another double sorting table.
Winemaking and Ageing Grapes are vinified batch by batch, in oak or stainless steel vats, then aged for 18 months in oak barrels (33% new). The wine is fined traditionally, using fresh egg white. This vintage was bottled on a fruit day according to the lunar calendar, to allow the wine to express itself fully.
Vintage 1959
Bordeaux 1959 was proclaimed wine year of the century by overzealous journalists. Although it was a great year, it just wasn't the best year of the century. The year started with ideal weather conditions. The summer was perfect until the fall, when the rains arrived in mid-September. But the rains gave way to hot and dry weather, preparing a magnificent setting for the start of the harvest. The result was a truly ripe and juicy harvest. Reds are generally full-bodied, with mild acidity and an oily mouthfeel that comes from the high alcohol content. Although the vintage is generally compared to 1961, it has much in common with the 1949. The Sauternes vintage was also a success and the region produced very long-lived wines. Once again, Château Lafite-Rothschild was a complete success, sharing the title of best wine of the vintage with Haut-Brion. Hot on their heels are Pétrus, which must be decanted for at least three hours before drinking, and La-Mission-Haut-Brion.