The Story
The 62 hectares of vines of the château Filhot are planted with 60 % of Sémillon, 36 % of Sauvignon and 4 % of Muscadelle. The hillsides face towards the south or the south-west and consist of gravels, clay and sand on calcareous base. They are bordered by the Landes forest and are crossed by Ciron (small local river) which creates the ideal microclimate for the development of the botrytis cinerea on the grapes.
The harvest is made with successive selections according to the state of maturation of the grapes and the evolution of the noble rot (botrytis cinerea). This long work of selection gives low yield, about 10 to 20 hl/ha depending on the year.
Viticulture
Vineyard position: South of the village of Sauternes on south-west facing slopes
Harvesting: By hand with successive passages through the vines
Winemaking
Fermentations: In 50 hectolitre temperature-controlled stainless steel vats
Temperature of fermentation: Between 19 and 21 degrés C
Length of fermentation: From 10 to 30 days depending to the grape variety and the concentration
Filtration: Light and gentle filtration 10 months after the fermentation (no sterile filtration)
Blending: Approximately 14 months after fermentation
Maturing: 2 years in barrel and vats
Barrels: Oak from the Allier forest of central France, 1/3 new barrels yearly
Bottling: 20 to 24 months after fermentation