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Wine Description
The Story
The philosophy behind work in both the vineyard and cellars is akin to that of a goldsmith, as befits a terroir of this calibre. It calls for careful decision-making and meticulous execution.
Soil management is entirely organic and viticulture is sustainable, with green cover between the vine rows and Guyot double pruning. Picking is done entirely by hand. The grapes are sorted and put into small vats corresponding to specific plots; each vat receives individual attention. Pigeage (punching down the cap) is practised.
Winemaking is constantly fine-tuned and whole berries have been fermented since 2012, along with a small proportion of stems to develop floral aromas.
Ageing takes place for 18-24 months in barrels from the finest coopers. Fifty percent of these are new every year.
Vintage 1953
The 1953 became the first top vintage of the 1950s. The year turned out to be excellent, even if the heavy rains in September threatened to destroy a good year. The hot, dry summer was capped by a perfect August. The mercury exceeded 30°C for more than half of the days in August. Fortunately, rains in mid-September gave way to ideal harvest conditions in early October. The best wines of this vintage are united by their elegance, delicacy and temperance. They should ideally be decanted for two hours before drinking. The vintage received praise particularly in the Médoc, which produced the best wines of the entire vintage. One of the most famous of them is Château Lafite-Rothschild. Many consider him to be the best Lafite-Rothschild of the entire 20th century. Although Graves and Sauternes also produced high-level wines, Pomerol and Saint-Émilion today offer just as many exceptional creatures, with the crème de la crème being Cheval Blanc and Lafleur.
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