Comtesse de Ségur Rouge 2005 AOC

The special reserve « Comtesse de Ségur » honours the brand new AOC Montravel Rouge, created in 2001. The ancient red vines (40 years old), which face South, are selected for the vinification of this reserve. The choice of these ancient vines is sourced from the quality and the concentration of the grapes produced. These vines are closely planted (5,000 vines /ha) and their yield is naturally restricted to 45 hL/ha. The thorough care we take of the tasks during the green period (bud-thinning in spring, leak plucking at veraison, and bunch- thinning in august when necessary), added to the severe sorting practised in the vineyard right before harvest, allows us to obtain grapes which meet our requirements of maturity, homogeneity and sanitary state.

The de-stemmed and crushed grapes underwent a 4-week maceration. During fermentation, daily cycles of two pumping-overs, and one “délestage” (rack-and- return) at the early stages ensured a soft and progressive extraction of the phenolic structure. The special reserve « Comtesse de Ségur », after malolactic fermentation carried out in tanks, was transferred to new French oak barrels coming from respected coopers, where it was aged for 12 months. Regular stirring ensured that the yeast-lees sediment was into suspension during this year of maturation. A natural refining with egg white is completed after maturation.

On the nose, lively blackberries are complimented by spicy French oak. The palate reveals a complex wine with strong fruit, powerful but silky and round tannins, with a long and ripe finish. The malbec gives a menthol taste in the middle palate.