Tasting Note
A richly perfumed nose, hinting at a sense of subtle complexity. Lemon citrus and floral characters combine with creamy vanillin on the palate and a fine vein of minerality. This offers the perfect balance between freshness and concentration. Although richer than the 2008s, a lovely sense of freshness is bestowed by the mouth-watering acidity and long finish.
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
Grape Variety
A variety with ancestral links to the Loire valley in France and now planted widely around the world. In France it is best known for Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, though it is widely used in dry white bordeaux and as a component in sauternes. Sauvignon Blanc has a crisp, grapey countenance and a hallmark fragrance of herbs and green garden fruits. It is rarely exposed to new oak ageing. The variety developed a cult following after its success in New Zealand in the 1990s where growers coaxed richness and pungency from the variety. It is an important variety in both South Africa and Chile, and can be found in California, Austria and elsewhere.
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