Chateau de Macard Bordeaux Superieur

2018 Vintage 89 Points—James Suckling

50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. International style from a winery using organic farming methods. A very powerful wine that is ripe and dense. It has freshness, silky plum fruit, with a core of blackberry and blueberry flavors. The finish lingers with sweet spice, tobacco and hints of vanilla.

• Non-negociant, family-owned and vinified from estate grapes only
• International style from a winery using organic farming methods
• 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon & 50% Cabernet Franc

The Estate
This estate is located just up the Dordogne River from Saint-Émilion and south of Côtes de Castillon. Here the Aubert family farms the vineyards organically on similar soil of dense clay and limestone along with gravel. The vines have an average age of 40 years with a density of planting of 5,000 vines per hectare.

Wine Making
Careful viticulture emphasizing the health of the vineyards, aerating the soils to promote nourishment, and a minimal intervention in the winery are the hallmark of this producer. After a meticulous selection of harvested grapes, the limited production of each parcel allows the grapes to be isolated in separate vats by origin and varietal. Then, the musts undergo a three week fermentation, both alcoholic and malolactic, to soften the resulting wine. The vinification proceeds at controlled temperatures through several series of fermentations. 50% of the wines go into oak barrels for 18 months, while 50% goes into steel tanks.

Tasting Notes
A very powerful wine that is ripe and dense. It has a freshness, silky plum fruit, with a core of blackberry and blueberry flavors. The finish lingers with sweet spice, tobacco, and hints of vanilla.