2013 VINTAGE
A structured and precise wine that perfectly assumes the vivacity of its youth and offers beautiful gourmet notes.
WEATHER DURING THE GROWING SEASON
After a cool, very wet winter and spring, the temperature rose to 30°C in the shade on the 17th of April.
However, this was quickly forgotten when there was a frost alert on the 28th, with the thermometer read-ing
just one small degree above freezing at daybreak… May and June were just as disastrous, and the vineyard soil was drenched. Flower-ing finally began on the 11th of June during cold, wet weather. It
was obvious by this stage that the upcoming harvest would be delayed, as well as reduced due to millerandage (abnormal fruit set). The poor weather fortunately came to an end at
the beginning of summer and the end of Vinexpo, coinciding with a preview inauguration of a sound and light show at the fortress. This was followed by three consecutive weeks with highs of 30°C, and the month of August was very sunny and dry (just 48 mm of precipitation over a 2 month period). The devastating storms in Bordeaux spared us, so we were able to make up for some of the lost time. Mi-véraison (the middle of colour change) took
place on the 15th of August. Alternating cool and warm periods in September, with showers in the middle of the month, brought about the start of noble rot in the coolest plots.
The harvest began with a first pass in the vineyard on the 26th of September when it was 30° in the shade.
The beautiful warm weather continued, so a 2nd pass could soon begin. This finished on the 3rd of October just before a heavy evening storm disrupted the weather for several days. Wine made from the first lots of grapes was very pure, fresh, and vivacious thanks to beauti-ful Sauvignon Blanc. Helped by a northerly wind
(accompanied by drier, cooler weather), a small window of opportunity enabled picking to take place on the 9th, 11th and 13th, despite new showers on the 12th.
The Sémillon grapes contributed their full potential of candied fruit aro-mas, while retaining freshness and good acidity. A warm south wine ar-rived on the 18th.
The harvest began again in earnest on the 21st and fin-ished the next day. Wine made
with the final lots of grapes was full-bodied and rich, although still quite fresh.
HARVEST
These various passes called for draconian choices because the warm, wet weather in October left the door open for the wrong kind of rot to develop. In the end, nearly half the grapes were sacrificed to retain only those with pure noble rot. This uneven crop, with a yield of less than 8 hectolitres per hectare, nevertheless produced a fine wine very typical of the estate with aromas and flavours of candied fruit, along with considerable vivacity. This vintage is not unlike 1999 or 2007 Château de Fargues. The wine was fermented with indige-nous yeast, and a third in new barrels. Beautiful color or shiny straw. The nose opens on very fresh notes of lemon, white flowers, apple with touchs of citrus, pomelos. Then comes the lemon pie, the meringue, the pain of spices and finally the pastry and caramel. The fresh and sharp attack, very lemony and apple, rounds up during the tasting while keeping its character sharp and tense. After this cedar very present, on the poached pear, acacia honey, plum and orange marmalade, and gourmet notes of meringue and caramel. The still young wine is slow but reveals a solid structure of great precision, a beautiful length
THE WINE
Surface area: 13ha47 Number of vintages : 4 selections Fermentation : 3 to 4 weeks of fermentation Production : 10.000 bottles Vinification : 1/3 new wood and 2/3 wood one year and a half
