Chateau des Graves Bordeaux Superieur 1999
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Grape Varieties: 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple color, with aromas of ripe red berries. On the palate, full-bodied and concentrated with firm tannins. Well matched with steaks, ribs and flavorful cheeses.
Vinification: Grapes are harvested manually from vineyards that are pruned back 20% annually. Vinification takes place at 32ºC (89.5ºF) for 3 weeks. The wine is then fined using egg whites and aged for 14 months in two-year-old oak barrels.
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.