St. Estephe '09

This most northerly of the major Medoc appellations was particularly successful in 2009, nestled down the Gironde far away from the hail the pestered and pelted vines in other appellations. The burly tannins and stiff structure characteristic to St. Estephe provided the perfect framework for the gorgeously ripe fruit of ’09 to stretch over. The higher percentage of merlot than other medoc appellations and heavier soils combined well with the consistent warm weather and made for concentrated full-bodied wines with a sense of completeness. There was, however, a strict selection of Merlot by the more conscientious chateaux taking out the grapes with excessive levels of alcohol, resulting in lower percentage of merlot in the final blend. Managing ripeness and picking block by block and within the block were keys to success in the vineyard.

Read more about our barrel tastingsin St. Estephe MWC St. Estephe Blog