Tasting Note
Deep in hue going towards opaque in appearance. The aromas are restrained, yet on the palate the wine is expressive, revealing a luxuriant sense of depth with a mulberry character to the berry fruit. A tight core of fruit nonetheless, with a markedly mineral note to the tannins, which are well-delineated and fine. Positively lingering on the finish, this is a pure, precise Duhart, of classical proportion and with good prospects for mid-term cellarage.
Region Details
Bordeaux is France's largest quality wine region, indeed producing almost as much wine as Australia. Its westerly position ensures a mild maritime climate, a long growing season and mild summers; rains in the autumn are the primary threat to the harvest, dampening expectations in around one year in three. Red wine predominates - indeed many white wine vines are being uprooted today - with Merlot the dominant variety. The region is dissected by the Gironde estuary, with on the Left Bank the district appellations of the Médoc and the Graves and on the Right Bank, those of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol amongst others. Sauternes is made in the south of the region. The notable red and sweet wines were classified in 1855 according to their then status. At that time not a single Pomerol or Saint-Emilion was deemed worthy despite their historic traditions, and only a single Graves wine. In the last few decades first Saint-Emilion and then Pomerol have become intensely fashionable, their usually small production guaranteeing a premium for scarcity.
Vintage Notes
2006 - Bordeaux
The 2006 growing season started brightly enough with a successful flowering and fruit set and a warm, sunny and settled June and July. Early optimism turned to concern when August, the month which is so crucial to eventual quality, was dreary with below average temperatures. Several proprietors described it as a month of 'poor quality light’. A blazing sun with heatwave temperatures greeted September and this fine spell continued for two weeks, during which time the vines made up the ground that they lost in August. It was this fortnight that turned a potentially mediocre vintage into one of good quality. The picking of Sauvignon Blancs and Right Bank Merlots began as barometric pressure fell. The onset of heavy rains which followed resulted in a rapid increase in berry size and a fall in sugar levels.
The timing of the picking has never been more crucial and it is clear that estates that picked ripe Merlots before or as soon as the weather broke, fared well. Pomerol Merlots tend to ripen a few days earlier than elsewhere in the region and we found the greatest quality consistency in this Right Bank commune.
Grape Variety
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