From the Wine Advocate: " 500-case lot sold only at Magrez’s retail shops in Bordeaux and Paris, this blend of 58% Merlot and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits notions of cedarwood, spring flowers, black currants, and sweet new saddle leather. Spicy, rich, opulent, and full-bodied, it is an atypically fleshy example with high glycerin. Drink it now or cellar it for 12+ years."
From winex.com-Grandes Chanes Reserve? You could call it that. This is Part 2 of the great 2005 Cru d'Exception giveaway from Bernard Magrez, this particular "Cru" coming from a killer 6 acre patch from the Grands Chenes vineyard located in St Christoly du Medoc. It is a unique parcel where Bernard Magrez, Michel Rolland and the winemaking team realized the potential to produce some of the best wine in Bordeaux. It is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from high density (8,300 vine per hectare) vines that are almosty 50 years old! Harvested from extremely low yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, the wine is yet another fantastic buy at over half off its original price!
What strict criteria qualify a wine as a "Cru d'Exception"? Careful Choice of terroir with low yields (under 30hl per hectare)that are the equivalent of one glass per vine. Meticulous work on the vines year round such as short pruning, green harvesting, leaf pullling etc. Regular checks and tasting of the fruit according to a strict protocol to determine harvest dates. Grapes harvested with a strict selection of the best bunches then destemmed by hand and transferred in small containers to keep the fruit intact Must delicately transferred into vat without any mechanical means and without crushing the berries. Malolactic fermentation in barrel then maturing on its lees with stirring to nourish the wine during this decisive period, followed by bottling without pumping, fining or filtering.
As explained by the man himself..."I wanted to add my name to this wine because I think it has all the elegance of the finest Medoc wines... and I'm proud of it". If you don't believe him or us, checck out Robert Parker review above. Again, like La Croix de Perenne, this wine has a tiny production of 500 cases, and was only sold in his boutiques in Paris and Bordeaux...until now.
