Pauillac

One third of malolactic fermentation was conducted in vats and two thirds in barrels. The first blends were produced in December.

The winter brought mild temperatures. These mild and relatively dry weather conditions affected bud break of the different grape varieties, which was early to normal depending on the terroir: 25 March for the Merlot and 30 March for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The first flowers appeared on 20 May, on the Merlots. Flowering and fruit set were particularly heterogeneous due to variations in temperature and rainfall. June was a pivotal month for the 2019 vintage. The first two weeks were quite unsettled, but summery and even scorching temperatures then followed. If the vineyard underwent severe hydric stress during the summer, the Bordeaux region received the equivalent of six months of rainfall, from the end of October until the beginning of December 2018. Hugely beneficial to soil, those rainfalls replenished water reserves. Harvest began on 23 September with the fully mature Merlot plants, and took place over five days with our four parcels of Cabernet Franc being the last to be harvested. Occasional showers fell during these early days, which did not affect harvesting conditions and proved extremely beneficial for the final ripening of the Cabernet grapes. Our pickers then continued with nine days of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot picking. Harvesting ended on 9 October.

18 months in French oak barrels (75% new wood)