Château de Sales 2018
AC Pomerol, 375 ml
| Grape variety: | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot |
| Producer: | Château de Sales |
| Origin: | France / Bordeaux / Pomerol |
| Other vintages: |
Description
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 De Sales rocks up with expressive blackberries and black cherries notes with an undercurrent of tilled soil, truffles and mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, it has a solid structure of ripe, rounded tannins and impressive freshness, finishing with bright black fruit layers.
Attributes
| Origin: | France / Bordeaux / Pomerol |
| Grape variety: | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot |
| Ripening potential: | 3 to 10 years after harvest |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Volume: | 14.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Cabernet Franc
Forefather of the Bordeaux varieties
The Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest varieties of Bordelais and a parent of three other red grapes in the Bordeaux assortment: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. It is distinguished by its complex, flavourful bouquet of raspberry, graphite, violet, liquorice and white pepper. In addition, it presents round, crisp tannins which turn out less strongly than those of Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Cabernet Franc always appears as part of a blend in Bordeaux, it is pressed alone on the Loire. The most renowned appellations are Chinon and Bourgueil. Incidentally, the Cabernet originates not in Bordeaux but in the Spanish Basque Country. Cabernet owes its name to the Latin “carbon”, meaning black.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The backbone of Bordeaux
The Cabernet Sauvignon gives the Bordeaux its backbone, yielding deep violet wines with powerful tannins and endless ripening potential. It is the top dog in Médoc, and is placed in all five premier crus of Bordelais. When young, it often appears strict and unapproachable, but with advancing years, its tannins round off. It is wonderfully velvety, and yet always maintains its freshness. Typical flavours include cassis, graphite and cedar. Wherever Cabernet Sauvignon is found, Merlot is not far away. It complements the robust structure of Cabernet with softness, fruit and richness. The Cabernet Sauvignon is the most-exported vine in the world. It delivers persuasive qualities in Italy as an ingredient of the Super Tuscan, or as the flagship variety from California. There, it is lovingly titled “Cab Sauv”. Meat fans should be aware that it fantastically accompanies a grilled entrecôte. The family tree of Cabernet Sauvignon is surprising: its parents are Cabernet Franc and the white Sauvignon blanc.
Merlot
Everybody’s darling
Merlot is the most charming member of the Bordeaux family. It shines with rich colour, fragrant fullness, velvety tannins and sweet, plummy fruit. It even makes itself easy for the vintner, as it matures without issue in cool years as well. This is in contrast to the stricter Cabernet Sauvignon, which it complements as a blending partner. Its good qualities have made the Merlot famous worldwide. At over 100,000 hectares, it is the most-planted grape in France. It also covers large areas in California, Italy, Australia and recently in Eastern Europe. The only catch is that pure Merlot varieties rarely turn out well. Its charm is often associated with a lack of substance. Only the best specimens improve with maturity. They then develop complex notes of leather and truffles. This succeeds in the top wines from the Bordeaux appellation of Pomerol and those from Ticino, among others.
Pomerol
Pomerol: the charm of Merlot
Nowhere in Bordeaux does the Merlot variety present as much opulent charm as in Pomerol. It is no wonder, then, that up to 75 percent of the top wines from this appellation are shaped by this variety, which plays a far more dominant role in Pomerol than in neighbouring Saint-Émilion. The relatively small Bordeaux appellation of Pomerol, with only 800 hectares, is Bordeaux’s most spectacular success story of recent decades. The legendary Château Pétrus was a pioneer in this development.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux: high prestige, high quality
With a total area of around 115,000 hectares, Bordeaux may not be France’s largest wine-growing region, but it is certainly its most prestigious. The range of wines produced here today is enormous: ranging from red everyday wines with a great relationship between price and quality to exclusive, and accordingly expensive, premier crus. Elegant white wines and noble sweet specialties round out the spectrum.
France
France – Philosophy in a bottle
According to French philosophy, wine should be an expression of the soil and climate. They use the word “terroir” to describe this. Terroir makes every wine different, and many especially good. French wine is regarded worldwide as an expression of cultural perfection. The French believe that humans are responsible for the quality of the berries, the vine variety for their character, and nature for the quantity. This philosophy can be expressed succinctly as: “the truth is the vineyard, not the man.”
