| Bélair 2006 • July 2007 | BÉLAIR
1st Great Classified Growth since 1954
2006 Vintage
Situation and surface area:
12 hectares of which 45% are on clay-limestone
slopes and 55% on the asteria limestone plateau, facing south-east/south.
Grape varieties:
80% Merlot:
- 20% on clay : giving power
- 20% on molasse : giving breed
- 40% on the limestone plateau : giving finesse
20% Cabernet Franc:
- on silt, sand and limestone
Density of plantation:
6,000 plants per hectare
Average age of the vines:
35 years
2006 vintage:
There were regular frosts throughout the winter, the last below-zero temperatures coming around March 15. The flowering of the almond tree started very late on March 20, and bud-break in the vines only took place at the beginning of April.
The recurrent theme in this vintage was drought, which affected every season and which left the winter reserves of water in the soil at a low level.
There were fine periods of sunny weather during May, June, and July ; and August, which was quite mild, brought about an even ripening, which was then finished off well by the sunny beginning of September, which was accompanied by light rain that limited the hydric stress affecting the vines from August.
The peak of flowering occurred around June 10, enabling us to forecast picking dates of between September 20 and 30.
We in fact picked the Merlot on September 20 and 23 and the Cabernet on September 26. The grapes were in very satisfactory health, and the selection process at the sorting table or on the vines ensured high quality grapes were brought in.
The vinification went smoothly, and the extraction was easy: relatively short macerations resulted in wines with very attractive fruit and tannins with very good balance and with no bitterness. The malo-lactic fermentations finished at the end of November, and the wines were put into barrel for ageing at the beginning of December.
The first tasting revealed a wine with plenty of backbone, a very good aromatic potential, power and breed on the palate, a dark, velvety colour and a good mouth-feel in the finish.
Contact:
Château Bélair – 33330 Saint-Emilion
Tel: +33 (0) 557 247 094 – Fax: +33 (0) 557 246 711
E-mail: belair@chateaubelair.com | |
|
Mirrors 
Previous
page
