CLOS MANOU 2018
Clos Manou is located in the Médoc of Bordeaux, in Saint-Christoly-Médoc. It was created in 1998 by Françoise and Stéphane Dief, in their garage as a cellar. Over the years, they have built up their vineyard, which today covers 18 hectares, through the purchase of a 4-hectare artisan cru and a 7-hectare cru bourgeois. They now have a 600m2 vat room, two storage cellars, two barrel-aging-cellars and an aging cellar with ovoid vats and terracotta jars.
Clos Manou is the property's grand vin. The 2018 vintage is a blend of Merlot (58%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Cabernet Franc (7%) and Petit Verdot (5%). The harvest is manual, in crates. After double sorting the grapes before and after destemming on a vibrating table, they are vatted for a cold pre-fermentation maceration for 48 to 72 hours. The vinification is traditional by pumping over the concrete vats and by punching down on the wooden vats. Malolactic fermentation is caused by co-inoculation during alcoholic fermentation. The aging is carried out on lees with stirring; 70% in new French oak barrels for 17 months, 25% in concrete egg of 7 hectolitres for 12 months, 5% in terracotta jar of 8 hectolitres for 6 months.
Grape varieties: 58% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot