Essence of Dourthe 2005
Vines d'Essence Of the 322 ha of Vignobles Dourthe, only 10 ha are selected to be the terroirs of Essence, because of their specificity, the grape varieties and the age of the vines. These parcels are entrusted to the managers of each property who, like the apprentice Companions, work to create their "masterpiece". In addition to the qualitative methods applied to all Dourthe vineyards, the vines of Essence are subject to a "personalized" approach to the vines: each foot is considered as a different individual from its neighbor and therefore justifies d specific attention to produce the best possible grape. Thus, about fifty treatments are provided at each vineyard until the harvest. There, the grapes are picked according to their analytically and tastefully controlled maturity, but also visually: the observation of the "ripening" of the cobs is a valuable indicator of the stage of maturation, and this selection involves careful harvesting in several passages. * Augmentation: Hardening of the vine shoots in August and at the end of September for the roundups. This lignification is accompanied by a change of color: reddening and then browning for the raffles Gasoline Wines Collected and transported in small crates, the grapes are de-stemmed and sorted and finally deposited manually in oak tanks of small capacity for cold pre-fermentation maceration followed by alcoholic fermentation. Later, the malolactic fermentation will take place in new barrels where the wine will stay during the whole of the rearing which takes place in separate lots in the cellars of each property. 12 to 18 months of breeding thus complete the production of what would however constitute only the magnificent microcuvées of each property without the Assembly: true founding act of "Essence of Dourthe". The Assembly of Essence The Art of Assemblage lies in the talent of the oenologists to discover the complementarity and the perfect balance between the batches, to create a cuvee where the whole will be infinitely superior to the sum of the components. The wines of Essence 2005 have long kept their secret. We had to wait patiently for this magical moment when the wines are finally ready to meet. The moment came in March 2007. Essence of Dourthe 2005 is finally composed of 50% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 8% Cabernet-Franc and 7% Petit-Verdot Dourthe Vineyards. To further refine the creation, the final Essence of Dourthe is bred for 6 months in the cellars of Dourthe in barrels of 1 wine. Although it is made of prestigious Bordeaux appellations, Essence de Dourthe is a unique expression of the great Bordeaux wine, whose name it bears. 300 hl were produced by the 10 hectares of vines of Essence but only 54 hl will be retained and offered in 6000 bottles, 200 magnums and 150 double-magnums.