Newsletter - November 2021
The 2019s are now available!
Our 2019s are now available, including our much anticipated new unoaked cuvée, a blend of 95% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec (or Pressac as it's known locally)
We have named it "Cuve 8a", after the cuve in which it was lovingly crafted - though we have given it the more lively nickname of "Beton" (French for 'Concrete')!
Thierry Garnaud, our winemaker, retired as maitre de chai at Chateau Cheval Blanc after the 2018 vintage and 38 vintages at the helm. To mark our first vintage in charge we wanted to introduce something new - a pure expression of our unique terroir, but more modern, without oak, and available as an everyday drinker, without breaking the bank.
Made from specific parcels of slightly younger vines, it’s vinified & matured solely in concrete, and can be enjoyed sooner than it’s ‘grand vin’ sibling. Not a second wine, but very much a different cuvée.
We are delighted with the quality and are convinced that both wines is even better than when it was tasted and scored 'en primeur' (and it was already very well received) , especially as these samples were prepared in a bit of a hurry, during the first lockdown! Neal Martin, from Vinous, scored our Cuve 8a 90-92 points
New Tasting Assortment - Now Ready
We have also launched online our new discovery box; an assortment of six vintages, including one bottle of each:
2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
For more details, with full tasting notes & order,
or for all commercial enquiries - contact us or the negociant of your choice.
An Update on the 2021 Vintage
While journalists and collectors will debate for years which year is the best among the famous trio (18, 19, 20) we are pretty sure that there will be no quartet.
Indeed, one could imagine that the "Grand Millésime" effect would take place every year with recent average temperature increases, but the cooler vintages are not yet a thing of the past - and 2021 is the proof of this; we do not think that it would be wise to favour the replanting of grape varieties like Syrah and Malbec, at the expense of Merlot and Cabernet, as some journalists suggest (at least for now!)
2021 is still a good vintage. Lower in alcohol (which is defined by growth that took place in a cooler and wetter context) It's also slightly more acidic, with a decent concentration. The wines should represent quite fascinating versions of their terroir, especially when compared to the more opulent trio that preceded it.
As has been widely reported, following the most disastrous frosts of the last three decades all over France, the month of June was very wet, and mildew was rather endemic: the 2021 harvests will be the smallest in terms of quantity since 1977 in France.
Here, we will produce around 60,000 bottles in total this year, which is around 60% less than the year 2020 (Though this was particularly abundant).In addition, we will not be using new wood in 2021.
Watch this Space!