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Chateau Loudenne Rouge 2005 x 6
Region
Medoc, Bordeaux, France
Grapes
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 55% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
Harvest Report
An outstanding sunny summer combined with very few rains during the harvest -from September 26th to October 19th- allowed us to pick Merlot grapes in a perfect sanitary state and the Cabernet Sauvignon were extremely ripe. Our technical teams were very happy with the conditions in which the harvest took place and observed the same characteristics in the three estates -Loudenne, Rouillac in Pessac-Leognan, and l’Hospital in the Graves.
An optimum grape ripeness is not enough to make a great wine; we also seek elegance and complexity. The grapes picked up this autumn showed a surprising aromatic freshness giving their high concentration in sugars. Indeed, the influence of the estuary on climate gave cool nights preserving the natural acidity of the fruit.
This successful alchemy between climate and soils enables us to believe in a long ageing potential wine.
Viticulture
”There is no great vineyard which does not overlook the river...” The position of Loudenne’s vineyard is ideal. Its gravely ridges slope gently down towards the Gironde Estuary which acts like a mirror. Loudenne also benefits from sea breezes which are propitious for ripening the grapes.
Soils are mainly gravely loams on calcareous clay.
Wine Making
In stainless steel and concrete vats lined with epoxy resin.
Vatting time : 3 weeks. Punching down of the cap and pumping over.
Malolactic fermentation takes place in new French oak barrels as the aromas from the wood are much better accepted by the wine. This ancestral technique provides more roundness to the wine as well as silky tannins.
Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. 30% of the barrels are renewed every year. Choosing different coopers adapted to our wines enables us to obtain an aromatic complexity.
Tasting Notes
Nose: An expressive, toasted nose with a slight vanilla note.
Palate: A fresh and straightforward attack followed by richness and finesse. A long-lasting finish on the fruit, leaving a pleasant freshness in mouth
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