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The Chloé Grandpierre Column no15

Bailliage of France
Château Pédesclaux - 5th Growth Pauillac

You should taste Pédesclaux at least once in your life!

Spending a day at Château Pédesclaux is a bit like dipping into a modern world that yet respects the traditions of viticulture and viniculture. This property will amaze you with its happy mixture of tradition and modernity, combining touch-screen technology and good old-fashioned pens, electronics and manual work.

Château Pédesclaux is a 5th Grand Cru Classé from Pauillac on the Milon plateau. Situated not much more than a stone’s throw from Château Mouton-Rothschild, Lafite-Rothschild and Pontet-Canet, it keeps good company!

The Château has undergone a complete transformation after a long period of hibernation. Perhaps the former owners did not have the heart to turn themselves into diamond-cutters and left this uncut gem dormant. In 2009, the Lorenzetti family acquired this exceptional vineyard which is proving full of surprises and decided to undertake a monumental makeover.

First of all they restructured the vineyard itself after studying the soil, ripping up old vines and planting new ones (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc). Emmanuel Cruse (Managing Director) and Vincent Bache Gabrielsen (Director) are in charge of this rebirth.

Two properties (Châteaux Haut-Milon and Béhéré) have been acquired in order to expand Pédesclaux, which has grown from 26 to 48 hectares. The butterfly is beginning to emerge from its chrysalis. Growing practices have been reviewed and are becoming systematic. No chemical herbicides are used, the soil is worked or encouraged to flourish by using natural fertilisers.

The Château itself is truly unique: a beautiful residence built with Gironde stone, it is surrounded by a glass casing that allows the old architecture to show through. It is a magnificent marriage of tradition and modernity.

A new fermenting room and plant have been designed under the aegis of a high profile architect: Jean Michel Wilmotte. Just as the exterior is the stuff of dreams, so would the interior make James Bond green with envy!

The fermenting room is state-of-the-art. Plot-by-plot vinification is used and blending will only happen at the very end of the process, in order to preserve the separate batches as long as possible.

The vats are shaped like sawn-off cones and comprise two levels, which allow a gravity-driven flow. Imagine four 100 Hl. rising vats which allow the wine to be processed 100 % by gravity! Just like ‘small’ elevator vats. You will not find this anywhere else in Bordeaux!

The 1400 m2 wine store is below ground. It can hold 1,800 barrels on 3 or 4 levels. It is a magnificent “cathedral” that maintains 80 % humidity and a temperature of 15°, ideal for storing wine.

You can visit the property, just phone to make an appointment. But let us take a closer look at what this means in terms of tastings.

Here is a small tasting, just for you, of the two wines of the Château: Fleur de Pédesclaux and Château Pédesclaux. I recommend you take an in-depth look at the 2012 vintage.

Fleur de Pédesclaux 2012, second wine of the Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac
(50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc)
If you love to indulge, this wine is made for you. The colour is a lovely ruby red. The nose is fruity, pleasant and with notes of cherry. It is fresh on the tongue with an undertone of red berries. A great success!

Château Pédesclaux 2012, 5th Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac
(63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc)
This is a dark Bordeaux that hunkers down in the glass, intense and brilliant. When the wine has breathed, the aroma opens up delicately, giving off aromas of vanilla and tobacco. It is fresh in the mouth with an undertone of black berries such as blackberry and blackcurrant. There is a powerful touch of vanilla that lines the mouth with molten tannins: you can feel the firmness. The finale is long and delicious, with a note of liquorice that coats the palate. Voluptuous and powerful.

You should taste Pédesclaux at least once in your life! That is the advice of a friend! But I cannot take responsibility if you get hooked!

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