Château Lilian Ladouys 2022
An Outsanding Vintage!
2022, a priceless know-how
Subjected to extreme weather events, our vineyard could rely on its remarkable resilience and our skilled technical team to yield such an outstanding vintage. In April, frost affected certain parcels in our vineyard, particularly the early-ripening Merlots on the plateau, which are usually spared. Given the significant advances in the use of green manure, which raises the temperature, the majority of the buds were undamaged.
The magical terroirs of Saint-Estèphe
Once again, our terroirs rose masterfully to the challenge of heatwave conditions in the summer of 2022. Living soils enriched by organic matter generated by green manure and our use of compost, provided our vines with all the nourishment they needed. The terroirs of Saint-Estèphe, a combination of gravel and clay on a limestone subsoil, coped brilliantly. Unfortunately, a sudden hail storm struck two-thirds of the vineyard on 20th June. While quality was not compromised since the vines’ leaves remained undamaged, the estate’s yields were impacted.
A “Zen” harvest
Just like 2020, this year was an early harvest. Accelerated ripening brought forward the harvest, commencing 13th September for the Merlots and 19th September for the Cabernets, finishing on 19th and 26th September respectively. The grapes were ripe, packed with fruit and deep in colour. All our varieties promise a magnificent vintage, particularly due to the incredible finesse of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
A balance of delicacy and complexity
In the cellar, gentle extraction enabled us to get the most out of our grapes. We transferred the wines into barrels as soon as December. The 2022 vintage will again benefit from 20% ageing in 400 litre barrels, creating a subtle balance of soft tannins and aromatic complexity.
An Outstanding Vintage
With Merlot narrowly dominating the blend and a historically high percentage of Petit Verdot, Château Lilian Ladouys 2022 is broodingly dark in colour, revealing multi-layered aromas of dark fruits, violets and spices. It is rich and balanced in structure, not too overpowering. Round and taut on the palate, with silky, soft tannins: all the hallmarks of a very great vintage.
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