Ripe, smooth and supple. Medium bodied
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Tasting Notes: A superb property located on the edge of the famous Margaux appellation planted with 65% Merlot 15% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. Aged in oak and carefully blended, this delicious claret is consistently good, with ripe supple fruit and soft tannins. Although it is already drinking well, allow half an hour for the wine to breathe after removing the cork, or cellar for up to five years.
This pretty little château was built by Emmanuel Tessandier in 1875 in Macau, which lies at the beginning of the Haut-Médoc. He surrounded his family’s home with vineyards, but was unhappily forced to divide his time between his bucolic life as a vigneron and his day job in Le Havre, where he had made his fortune creating and operating one of the world’s largest shipbuilding yards. Today, the winemaking at Château Lescalle is still done in the classic Médoc style. Vineyard manager Claude Gaudin rigorously follows several basic principles. Extremely dense planting of the vines (up to 5000 vines per hectare) naturally limits the yields and increases the intensity of the fruit.
Bordeaux Superieur is an appellation which covers the whole of the Bordeaux region, from Verdon-sur-Mer at the north-western tip of the Medoc to Sainte-Foy, 80 miles (130km) to the east. Rather than being a sub-category of the generic Bordeaux appellation, Bordeaux Superieur is a title in its own right, specifically covering both red and white wines. The reds have a slightly higher alcoholic content than standard Bordeaux, are aged for longer in oak barrels (12 months minimum) and are produced from older vines. The whites are distinguished from standard white Bordeaux by their higher residual sugar levels, which make the wines anything from semi-sweet to liquoreux. Bordeaux Superieur wines are produced from the classic Bordelais grape varieties. The reds are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot (proportions vary according to vineyard locations), and generally tend to be a little richer and more complex than regular Bordeaux. They also, theoretically, offer better ageing potential, but this can be down to the winemaking. The whites are produced from Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon and Muscadelle. They also tend to be a little more complex, due to the slightly lower maximum yields dictated by the Superieur production conditions. About a quarter of the vineyard coverage dedicated to AOC Bordeaux wine production is given over to Bordeaux Superieur. It is spread across the region, with a bias towards the areas north of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol where more location-specific
Food Match : Serve with roasted lamb, grilled meats, game birds and strong cheeses.
ABV: 14%
Grape : Merlot 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Petit Verdot 10%.
Producer : Chateau Lescalle
Country : Bordeaux, France