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Chateau Bernadotte 2003 x 6
Region
Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Introduction
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande acquired Château Bernadotte in 1998. It is situated in the Commune of Saint Sauveur which borders the Pauillac appellation to the west, close to a number of classified growths and only a few kilometers away from Pichon. Since then May-Eliane de Lencquesaing and her team made important investments not only in the château, vat room and cellars but also in the vineyard.
Grapes
57 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 41 % Merlot, 1 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Petit Verdot
Harvest Report
Winter: A sufficiently wet winter to replenish the water table.
Spring: A mild spring enabled the budding period in the vineyard to take place in a homogeneous way. Flowering was spread over a warm, windy period from May 12th to the end of the month. Some flower abortion (coulure) was noted which contributed to a diminution in the harvest (by comparison with the 2002 vintage). Mid flowering May 25th to May 28th
Summer: The heatwave during the months of July and August led to a slow maturation; the clayey subsoil and the deep-rootedness of the old vines played an important role in the success of this vintage: the three stormy cloudbursts during July and August enabled the vine to struggle against the heat wave. During the month of September, the variation between the day and night temperatures privileged the accumulation of large quantities of phenolic compounds. The 2003 vintage is marked by the heat wave conditions of the summer. Mid-veraison from July 30th to August 3rd
Autumn Picking started on September 15th for the merlots and on 22th September for the cabernets sauvignons. Picking finished on September 27th.
Viticulture
The Vineyard today is spread over 35 hectares grouped together around the Château. The soils in the main are gravelly/sandy and naturally well drained with an important degree of clay in depth, permitting resistance to drought and moderate water stress during the maturation period of the grapes.
Wine Making
The grapes are picked by hand. The sorting of the harvest is carried out directly in the parcels so that only grapes that are ripe and sound enter the vat-room. The vinification is done traditionally with a gentle extraction of the composites of the grape.
The aging period lasts between 12 and 16 months. The oak barrels, coming from the center of France are made by the finest coopers. The proportion of new wood varies depending on the vintage. In general it is 30% for the first year.
Tasting Notes
Quite respectably deep colour. Light fragrant nose of toasty vanilla and creamy fruit. Gorgeous cassis, mulberry and blueberry flavours with a good density, a voluminous, chewy mouthfeel, and a long finish
Alcohol
13%
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