In the heart of the Harvest 2017

An annual highlight in Bordeaux, the harvest in September is one of the most important moment for the Châteaux.

They select with the technical director and the vineyard manager the right grape variety for each plot, depending on the terroir’s characteristics and constraints. Harvest allow to sort and retain the best grapes, which are then vinified and blended in the wines.

We discovered the harvest backstage of two famoux Châteaux of Medoc…

Château Cos d’Estournel: 2nd Grand Cru Classé Saint Estèphe

Today the vineyard, occupies 91 hectares with two-thirds of Cabernet Sauvignon, lesser proportion of the land dedicated to Merlot and a small proportion to Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Discovery with the general director Aymeric De Gironde: walking in the vineyard, tasting grapes, and then incredible lunch time with best millesime in tasting menu and wines pairing.

Château Beychevelle: 4th Grand Cru Classé Saint Julien

Château Beychevelle “The Versailles of Medoc” has 250 hectares of land. The vineyard is planted the Médoc’s four four traditional grape varieties: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

The team selects the best grapes, then the vinification process is carried out with a gravity flow system in the new fermenting room. We visited the new and the old cellar, explaining the specificity of each barrel. We finished by a private blind wine tasting: Amiral de Beychevelle 2011, Château de Beychevelle 2009 ans 2011, incredible millesimes!