Diane de Belgrave 2015, Haut-Médoc

Diane de Belgrave is Château Belgrave’s second wine. The name is a reminder of the estate’s historic links to hunting. Benefiting from the same viticultural regime and winemaking facilities as the Grand Cru Classé wine, the second wine is made from younger vines. The result is a supple, fruity wine with delicate tannins.

Grape

82% Merlot – 18% Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard & Vinification Note

HVE3 and Terra Vitis certified (High environmental value certificates)

Vintage 2015: With even bud burst and flowering across all varieties, an encouraging start to the year at Château Belgrave, with highly favourable spring conditions, was followed by long weeks of dry weather. Work in the vineyards had to be adapted to protect the vines, including light leaf plucking on the canopy facing the rising sun to prevent the grape bunches from being exposed to too much sun, and reducing the height of the canopy to keep water shortage to a minimum. Occasional rain showers from the end of July to mid-September helped the grapes to ripen fully. We harvested in great conditions from 18 September for the early Merlots until 9 October for the very last parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot grapes are fleshy and fruity. Cabernet Sauvignon is superb.

Harvest:

Merlot: 18^th September to 5^th October

Cabernet Sauvignon: 5^th to 9^th October

 Vinification:

Pre-fermentation cold maceration depending on the characteristics of each plot. Alcoholic fermentation with 1 to 3 pumping-overs and/or 1 pigeage per day, depending on the batches. Malolactic fermentation partially in barrels.

The partially underground barrel cellar hall has been completely renovated, to highly modern standards, with the latest high-performance equipment controlling relative humidity and temperature. Part of the wine matured in barrel on lees to preserve the aromas.

Ageing: 12 months, on fine lees, in 2 to 3 years-old barrels.

Estate bottled: June 2017

Tasting Note

Stunning ruby colour. Fresh aromas on the bouquet offer ripe fruits and distinctive oaky, peppery notes. Initially very round on the palate, the wine boasts appealing tannic structure. The fleshy palate reveals fruit, ripe tannins and soft, integrated oak in perfect balance, and culminates in a lovely, lengthy finish. Frédéric Bonnaffous, Dourthe Estates Director

Food Pairing

Red and white meat (beef fillet, rack of lamb with vegetables, potato tart with bacon), game (game pie with roasted apples, rolled fillet of hare with olives, pheasant, pigeon in red sauce…), mature cheeses