Castle Montrose - Saint-Estèphe 2006

Castle Montrose - Saint-Estèphe 2006

If 2003 was the year of the heatwave and 2005 the year of the drought, 2006 is characterized by distinct seasons. In fact, the cold and humid winter preceded a particularly dry spring and a hot summer, with two heat waves in Junes and July. The alteration of hot days and cool nights guaranteed the perfect ripening. One has to note, however, the incidence of a long period of rain around mid-September. Once again, this year, the land of Montrose played a very important role, thanks to its specific geological and climatic character. The subsoil of the estate is composed of gravel and sand, lying on a bed of clay. Gravel stores heat, from the rays of the sun, and distribute it regularly to the grapes, allowing a good maturation; Moreover, the gravel has a draining capacity, filtering the rain through to the clay soils which, once full of water, permits a regular and gentle source of hydration to the vines. The dry and warm summer averted the development of botrytis cinerea, in spite of the rain in September. The permanent flow of air from the Gironde, along with the work carried out in the vines stripping away the leaves, prevented any potential spread of gray rot. Changes in our viticultural practices In 2006, for the first time at Chateau Montrose, we have undertaken green harvesting throughout the whole vineyard, with the aim of reaching the optimal load of grapes, taking into account the grape variety and the vigor of each plot . Our pickers left a maximum of three grapes per branch. The result of this study was a better maturity than usual and lower yields (an average of 41 hl / ha). Wine making: The perfect state of health of the harvest greatly helped both the sorting of the grapes as well as the vinification. The vattings lasted 21 days with no problems of blocked alcoholic or malolactic fermentation. The first barrels were filled on November 10th. Proportion of new barrels: 60%.