Chateau Loudenne Medoc 2005 (Medoc)

NOTES

Château Loudenne, situated on the banks of the Gironde estuary, is one of the most delightful sites in the Médoc, the charm of which did not escape the appreciative eye of its owners, Marie-Claude and Jean-Paul Lafragette. Château Loudenne stretches over a superb estate of 132 hectares, with 48 hectares of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and 12 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

Classified as a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, the classification was drafted as a response to the hardship of the years following the Great War. The first ever classification of the Cru Bourgeois properties of the Médoc was drawn up by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Agriculture in 1932. Together they bestowed the accolade on 444 properties, and it graced the labels of these wines for more than six decades, even though the system was never officially ratified by the Agriculture Ministry.

TASTING NOTES

The promise of a great vintage; An outstanding sunny summer combined with very few rains during the harvest -from September 26th to October 19th- allowed us to pick Merlot grapes in a perfect sanitary state and the Cabernet Sauvignon were extremely ripe. An expressive, toasted nose with a slight vanilla note. A fresh and straightforward attack followed by richness and finesse. A long-lasting finish on the fruit, leaving a pleasant freshness in mouth. Incidentally, the blend is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon 55% Merlot 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Malbec.