Château Langoa Barton, 3ème Cru Classé, St Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2011

Viticulture

The plots that compose the Château Langoa Barton terroir overlook the river. The splendid slopes of quaternary gravel bring the grapes to full maturity and then they undergo a rigorous selection process before being chosen for the Langoa Barton. The plowing is traditional, without weeding or herbicide.. Manual harvest from 19th to 22nd september (Merlot) then from 12th to 23rd September.

Winemaking

The harvesting is done entirely by hand. After the de-stemming, the berries are carefully sorted, crushed and poured in wooden vats thermo-regulated, according to their plots. The alcoholic fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days and the extraction is always respectful of the juice by adjusting the number of pumping depending on the cuvées and the vintages. The maceration is about 3 weeks then the juice is drawn in barrels, lot by lot. The wine is then aged between 16 and 18 months in French oak barrels of which 60% are brand new, in a cellar maintained at 15 °. The wines are topped up 3 times a week to avoid any contact between the wine and the air, the racking is traditional using the so-called "à l'esquive" method.

Oak Ageing

Time: 16 to 18 Months
Type: French Oak
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 60

Tasting Note

The aromas are predominatelly spicy with notes of leather. Good balance of tannin and alcohol.