Chateau Belgrave Diane de Belgrave 2015.

Declared Grand Cru Classé in 1855, Château Belgrave is the estate’s fine wine. A majority blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, it reveals all the finesse and character of this great terroir. Dense and deep, it is an age-worthy wine with fresh, complex flavours, and very ‘Saint-Julien’ in style.

TASTING NOTES: Lovely deep, concentrated appearance to this rich and complex wine. Elegant on the nose, where intense, dark berry fruit aromas intermingle with spice and liquorice. Initially delicate on the palate, gaining rapidly in intensity to reveal rich and flavoursome mouthfeel, underpinned by fine-grained, silky tannins. The wine culminates in a long, lingering and racy finish, defined by freshness and spice.

THE VINTAGE: With even bud burst and flowering across all varieties, an encouraging start to the year at Château Belgrave, with highly favourable spring conditions, was followed by long weeks of dry weather. Work in the vineyards had to be adapted to protect the vines, including light leaf plucking on the canopy facing the rising sun to prevent the grape bunches from being exposed to too much sun, and reducing the height of the canopy to keep water shortage to a minimum. Occasional rain showers from the end of July to mid-September helped the grapes to ripen fully. We harvested in great conditions from 18 September for the early Merlots until 9 October for the very last parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot grapes are fleshy and fruity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are both superb.