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Chateau Le Prieure St. Emilion Grand Cru 2020
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$94.95
The 2020 Le Prieuré is so elegant and nuanced. As always, readers will find a Saint-Émilion built on linear...
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Winery
Chateau Le Prieure
Vintage: 2009
Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.
Varietal: Merlot
With its versatility and depth of fantastic fruity flavor, Merlot is one of the key grape varietals which has truly conquered the world of wines. Grown all over Europe, the Americas and elsewhere, Merlot grapes are distinguishable by their beautiful blue color and loose hanging bunches. They are a favorite with wineries due to their light tannin content and low levels of malic acid, meaning that Merlot wines are extremely drinkable and carry a depth of flavors which is at once fleshy and full, without being overpowering or challenging for the drinker. Merlots are often used for blending, as their roundedness and mellow nature is a perfect way to balance out more astringent varietals, leading to fuller, more complex and silky quality wines. Indeed, many of the finest wineries in the world in esteemed locations across countries such as France and Italy are famed for their habit of using ripened Merlot grapes to their full potential.
Region: Bordeaux
The wineries of Bordeaux in France are widely considered to be amongst the finest on earth, with many of the chateaux found on the Left Bank and in the Médoc region routinely demanding enormous prices and being snapped up by collectors looking to add the best examples of the world's white and red wines to their cellars. Bordeaux's secret to success comes from the fact that the terroir of the region is exceptionally rich in minerals, helped by the clay and gravel soils which typify the area and the Gironde river which runs through it. Normally humid in climate, the nearby Atlantic coast supplies cooling breezes, making Bordeaux a winemaker's dream and resulting in extremely high quality grape varietals. For hundreds of years, the wineries of Bordeaux have been mastering the art of wine blending, and today produce a wide range of wine styles using many of the sixteen grape varietals permitted to grow in the region by French law.
Country: France
France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.
Appellation: Saint Emilion
Of all of France's wine regions, the one most closely associated with high quality red wines is undoubtedly Bordeaux. Within Bordeaux, there is no other sub-region quite as highly esteemed as Saint Emilion, situated on the hallowed right bank of the Gironde river, and home to many of the world's most famous and dearly loved wine chateaus Saint Emilion is revered for its finely crafted and utterly delicious blended red wines, most commonly made by blending together wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot varietal grapes. The region is one steeped in tradition, and the blending techniques and methods have been handed down through the generations to ensure that the wines which bear the name Saint Emilion remain amongst the best in the world.