Varietal mix 47% Merlot
25% Cabernet Franc
21% Syrah
5% Malbec
2% Cabernet Sauvignon

Maturing 12 months in French oak barrels
25% new barrels
75% in one- to three-vintage barrels

Tasting notes

The wine is a clear and glittering, very dense, very deep and very dark garnet red.

The highly elegant nose, of great complexity and refinement, exudes succulent, spicy aromas, followed after airing by mineral notes combined with jammy red fruit such as wild strawberry, raspberry and blackberry.

From a fresh, supple and elegant attack with beautiful substance and perfectly integrated tannins, the mid-palate reveals flavours of fruit preserved in alcohol together with notes of spice and toast. The tannins are supple yet powerful, the wine as a whole demonstrating controlled power.

The long and fresh finish, on minty and peppery notes, displays exceptional persistence, lingering long in the mouth. The aromatic complexity of the vintage combined with perfect balance between freshness and density on the palate make this one of the finest wines ever produced at Domaine de Baronarques.

After a mild January, the end of the 2017-18 winter was colder than in previous years, with temperatures falling to a low of -9° C on 27 February. Nonetheless, budbreak started on 24 March, a normal date for the estate.

Winter and spring were very wet. As a result, despite normal temperatures in April, May and June, flowering took place a few days later than usual, starting on 1 June with the Merlot and ending on 16 June with the Cabernet Sauvignon.

July was stormy and hot, August and September hot and dry. Veraison took place as usual between 2 and 25 August.

Because of the late summer heat, picking started with the Merlot on 28 September, a few days earlier than the average, and ended with a last parcel of Malbec on 17 October. The grapes were harvested at optimum ripeness. The average yield for the red grape varieties was 47 hl/ha, in line with our expectations.