Les Astéries 2004
In Stock
This single vineyard wine is made from a hectare plot on 'Astéries' (rock limestone) soil between Château Fonroque and Clos Fourtet. The vines survived the frost of 1956 and are up to eighty years old. Panachéed in the old style (merlot interspersed with cabernet franc to ensure easy blending in the days before pumps) they are cropped down to four bunches per vine to reflect the terroir of the parcel. Unlike most of the wines of the Château, Les Astéries exhibits a strain of minerality that emphasizes the rocky sub-soil. The wine is pure vineyard rather than a winemaker's wine. Huge color, high extraction of black fruits, totally hedonistic palate but almost Saint-Estèphe grip on the finish, fresh and very, very long. Only 250 cases of the wine are made each year and are for limited release.
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