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Wine Description
The Story
Grapes from 7 hectares of old vines, mainly planted with Merlot and a little Cabernet Sauvignon, are fermented and aged carefully to bring out the best of the terroir and fruit.
The red wine is a brilliant, deep, highly attractive colour.
Its intense, complex bouquet is full of charm, redolent of red- and black-berry fruit picked at peak ripeness. Hints of hand-made plum jam, blackberries, and blueberries are enhanced by the fresh, mineral overtones that come from this deep-gravel terroir.
Its elegant structure and finesse give it a well-integrated, very soft, silky mouthfeel. The good acidity of the fruit, combined with fresh minty overtones from the terroir contribute to the overall balance and exquisite character of this fine red wine.
While it will age well, its intrinsic qualities make this wine very enjoyable when young.
Temperature : 18°C
Wine Information
Our goal from the very start was to make great wine thanks to Lespault-Martillac’s truly outstanding terroir and its old Merlot vines with low yields of superb fruit… To take advantage of these assets, we applied the same principles that are at the heart of our winemaking philosophy at Domaine de Chevalier: traditional viticultural practices inspired by biodynamics and constant observation in the vineyard to make the best choices in light of weather conditions during the growing season. This calls for ploughing the soil and a profound respect for the terroir and the environment as evidenced by the sparing use of chemical sprays, plot-by-plot vineyard management, etc…»
Vintage 2010
Drought and cool temperatures contribute to optimal ripeness
The sum of summer temperatures in 2010 was close to that of summer 2009 (962°C compared to 982°C), but significantly colder than those of 2005, which totaled 1052°C. These cool temperatures had a substantial influence on the balance of our wines, preserving a good level of acidity and an attractive aromatic freshness.
Very little precipitation (only 267 mm) from March to August 2010 generating a drought of similar intensity to that of 2005, when only 227 mm of rain fell.
Another characteristic of the 2010 vintage is the low temperatures especially during the first three weeks of August, which allowed good acidity levels to be preserved in the grapes while maintaining an attractive aromatic freshness.