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Wine Description
The Story
Each year, Château Beauséjour hDL takes into consideration the quality of the harvest and adapts its vinification accordingly. A subtle balance between the frequency and intensity of the "pumping-over" process must respect the wine's maceration, which varies in duration, in order to extract the best tannins.
For over thirty years, the Michel Rolland Laboratory has accompanied Château Beauséjour hDL during the vinification of each vintage. The wine is afterwards refined for 16 to 18 months in oak "shook" barrels, then aged in bottles at a constant temperature in limestone quarries.
A portion of the vineyard is rooted in argilo-calcareous soil with an asteriated subsoil, while the remaining vines are rooted in the limestone that, here and there, rises to the surface at the top of the hill.
Today, the vineyard's varietals are made up of 81% Merlot, which particularly appreciates the coolness and humidity of the clayey soil and contributes fruitiness and fullness to the château's wines, and 19% Cabernet (16% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon), which provides powerful aroma and structure. On average, the vines are between 35 and 40 years old.
Vintage 1988
The first in a trio of great vintages and one that has been rather overshadowed by the 89s and 90s.Definitely the most "classic" of the trio, with many of the wines not being overtly fruit-driven but having levels of extract and concentration that that make them perfect candidates for extended cellaring.
The first half of the year was unusually cold and wet and the vintage was saved by a long, dry, warm summer. Harvesting began in mid September and some of the Cabernets were not picked until the 3rd week of October. Most of the wines are now approaching their plateau of maturity with the pick of the bunch being the Cabernet-dominated Médocs and Graves. Pauillac was particularly successful.