 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
 |
||||||
|
The major difference between the 2000 and 2001 vintages lies in the fact that the 2000 vintage had the benefit of two hot dry months from the beginning of August until the end of September, so that there was a homogeneous changing of colour at the time of the veraison which had a positive effect on the maturity and the concentration of the grapes. Whereas the 2001 vintage, in spite of an early flowering, saw its veraison perturbed by a humid summer which caused a slight heterogeneity at the end of August. Then , as if by a miracle, it was all played out in September. The weather was dryer and cool, favouring a slow and beneficial ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Picked late in October in hot and sunny conditions it was essential that the grapes were in a perfect sanitary state so as to reach optimum maturity, as the berries were beginning to dry up and to lose their acidity. | |||||
|
As a result of these different climatic contexts, the 2000 vintage has produced very aromatic wines with a great intensity of colour. The rich and ripe tannins have given a beautiful structure in the mouth : opulent, subtle and silky, accentuated by the freshness and vitality of the Petit Verdot. The full body and balance of this wine promise it a long life-span. The 2001 vintage, for its part, shows amazing qualities of purity, freshness of fruit and complexity on the nose. After a robust attack it is little less concentrated in the mouth. This is compensated by the finesse of the Cabernets, the caressing unctuosity of the marvellous Merlots and the freshness of the Petit Verdots which blend together so harmoniously. Again a wine for keeping, although its charms will be discovered at an early age. In a vintage where it was necessary to concentrate on fruitiness and finesse rather than structure, it was tempting to compensate a slight lack of definition by over extracting, a fatal mistake to be avoided in order to maintain the style of the terroir. The 2000 and 2001 are two great vintages, completely different in style and where the talents of both the winegrower and winemaker are revealed. | ||||||
 |
||||||
