Varietal mix 64% Merlot
13% Cabernet Franc
13% Malbec
8% Syrah
2% Cabernet Sauvignon

Maturing 29% new barrels
32% one-vintage barrels
28% two-vintage barrels
11% three-vintage barrels

Tasting notes

Deep red with a crimson hue.

The complex and refined nose reveals blackcurrant and bilberry aromas mingled with delicate spice notes tending towards vanilla.

The smooth and elegant attack leads into a harmonious and precise midpalate, emphasised by an attractive freshness and a structure of wellintegrated tannins combined with a silky texture, culminating in a long and nicely balanced finish that lingers on liquorice and chocolate flavours.

After an unusually mild and dry winter, budbreak started relatively early across all our red grape varieties, between 26 March and 6 April 2021, though the period is within the average for the last ten years. Warm weather in early spring was followed by a north-easterly cold spell at the beginning of April. It took more than three weeks for the normal growth cycle to resume. Flowering and berry set followed without incident. Hot and damp weather set in during the last fortnight of June and continued until mid-July.
Despite a heatwave, regular light rain and damp mornings until the end of the month meant that July was cooler than the average. Temperatures in August were also lower than normal, with regular rainfall that staggered the ripening process over time.

The first Merlot grapes were picked fully ripe on 27 September. Decisions on the best harvest dates for the 2021 vintage were subsequently taken after numerous and frequent tastings of berries in the vineyard. The crop in all parcels was harvested in very good health.