Les Fiefs de Lagrange2015

RED 0000B

Blend

55% de Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% de Merlot et 4% de Petit Verdot.

Harvest

From 21th Septembre to 6th October.

Ageing

Air conditioned cellars with regulated hygrometry.
20 % of new oak barrels every year for Les Fiefs de Lagrange, maturing for 14 months.
Maturing with the bung on top for about 6 months (3 top-ups per week).
Supplementary maturing with the bung on the side with racking every 3 months.
Fining with fresh egg-white in vats.
Final blending before bottling.

Tasting notes

Brilliant nice color with purple hues, black and red fruits notes. Fresh on the palate with menthol and spices. Well balanced between the acidity and tannic structure which show a nice elegance wine. The most complete Fiefs de Lagrange since the 2009 vintage.

Vinification

The contents of vats are selected according to the grape varieties, the age of the vines, the « terror » and the maturity. 102 vats : 220hl to 36hl stainless steel vats with cooling control.
Moderate pumping-over everyday; pigeage and pumping over.
Maceration of 15 days to 22 days.
Selection of free-run wine and of press win.
Fermentation malolactic by co-inoculation.
Blending selection of the « Grand Vin » (Chateau Lagrange) and the second wine (Les Fiefs de Lagrange) in February, following the harvesting.
Average age of the vine producing les Fiefs de Lagrange: 35 years old.

Vintage

The dry, mild spring weather encouraged the budburst although we cannot say this was an early vintage. The flowering and colour change took place in excellent conditions, around the average dates recorded on the property.>p>

Long harvest: from Sept 21st to Oct 12th. (22 days)
Hand picking into individual crates for the 111 hectare.
120 pickers on average recruited according to the daily needs by a specialised agency, allowing a considerable flexibility of harvest to optimize the ripeness.
Last sorting grape by grape with an optical camera.
Plot by plot vilification in 102 stainless steel vats of which 80 are small capacity (36 to 123hl).