Baron Philippe de Rothschild St. Emilion 2001

The wine has an attractively youthful ruby color with a cherry tint and a refined, elegant nose on which toast and wild berry aromas mingle with subtler notes of spice and tobacco. Round and substantial on the palate, it quickly reveals a fine structure of close-knit but well-rounded, almost velvet tannins, sustained by rich mocha and caramel flavors. The beautifully balanced finish, full of character, power and charm, shows both the greatness of the vintage and the subtlety of a very fine terroir.

The appellation takes its name from the famous mediaeval town of Saint-Emilion, a few kilometers north-east of Bordeaux. The vineyard, on the right bank Of the Dordogne, is bordered to the north, by the river Barbanne, to the east, by the slopes of Castillon, to the south, by the Dordogne plain, and to the west by the town of Libourne.

Saint-Emilion Baron Philippe is dominated by merlot (80%), a variety ideally suited to the appellation, especially the limestone soils on which it produces a supple and fruity wine that ages well. Cabernet sauvignon (12%) develops incomparable aromas and tannins that give the wine character and additional ageing potential; cabernet franc (8%) provides elegance.