Alcohol: 14%
Grape(s): 45% Merlot,30% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
Localization: AOC Blaye, Bordeaux, France
Tasting Notes: In the glass, it’s a deep and dark ruby purple. Floral violet aromas add to the bouquet of savory herbs, cocoa, and ripe red and black fruit. The concentrated palate is rich and wonderfully expressive, with herb and spice notes from the Cabernets boosting the Merlot fruit. The finish is rich and substantial while it’s savory and complex; notes of blackberries, strawberries, herbs, and cocoa linger. Fine tannins and balanced acidity complete the package and assure this can age until it’s eight to 10 years old if you can keep your hands off a bottle for that long!
Notes: A blend of two parcels: Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone slopes, close to the Gironde estuary, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, planted over gravelly soil near Reignac. Everything is destemmed, before a gentle maceration. 12 months in concrete vats, bottled by descending moonlight to ensure stability and limit any sulfur additions (20mg/l)
The Domain: Damien Lorteau returned home to his parent's estate in 2010; after a worldwide adventure discovering the idiosyncrasies of winemaking regions- one harvest at a time. Work began closer to home in Burgundy and the Rhône; before taking him further afield to Spain, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand the US.
A return to winemaking in Bordeaux wasn't always on the cards for Damien despite spending a childhood in the vines; but as he traveled further, the passions of the growers he met fuelled an urge in him to make his way home and breathe new life into their small pocket of the right-bank.
The 20-hectare estate is a marriage of two distinct parcels of vines, originally owned individually by his maternal and paternal grandfathers. His parents joined the plots into one estate in 1997 following the retirement of their fathers; and helmed the operation together for 20 years.
Damien's first step in 2010 was to convince his parents to begin organic conversion on the property. He considers himself incredibly lucky that they afforded him the opportunity to change the processes. Bordeaux has been considerably slower on the uptake in the move towards organic agriculture and low-intervention practices; growers like Damien are still outliers in the region.
With Damien officially taking over in 2013 once they achieved organic certification, work since has been as low-intervention as possible, fermentation with native yeasts, no sulfur during vinification; minimal amounts at bottling.
