Saint Emilion Grand Cru Château Lapelletrie 2018

The Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from the artisanal winery Chateau Lapelletrie displays an authentic personality, making it probably the most representative label of this Bordeaux winery. The historic wine-growing area of Saint-Émilion is located on the heights on the right bank of the Dordogne River, where the Merlot grape variety is the dominant one. The small village of Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, where the estate is located, is part of the area dedicated to this AOC from which come some of the most appreciated and renowned red wines in the world.

This Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Chateau Lapelletrie is made from a solid base of Merlot to which 10% Cabernet Franc is added, vines bred according to the dictates of organic farming, supplemented by biodynamic practices. The vineyards from which the grapes come extend over 10 hectares, have an average age of around 40 years and are planted on clay-limestone soils. Harvesting, carried out partly mechanically and partly by hand, is followed by a double sorting of the bunches, that then ferment spontaneously thanks to the yeasts naturally present on the grapes and in the cellar environment. The ensuing year the wine ages in French oak barrels, only one third of which are first-passage, and the wine rests for several months in the bottle before its definitive release.

On visual examination, Chateau Lapelletrie's Grand Cru Saint-Émilion has an intense ruby red colour. The broad aromatic range opens on hints of blueberry, undergrowth and green pepper, joined by deep perceptions of vanilla and hints of roasting. Austere but silky on the palate, where the full body and taut freshness are accompanied by a dense but velvety tannic texture, in a persistent and savoury finish.