Château HAUT MARBUZET 2016
Château Haut-Marbuzet is located in the Saint-Estèphe appellation in Bordeaux , and has been owned by Hervé Duboscq since 1952. The property was one of the first Crus Bourgeois in 1932, promoted to Grand Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 1978 and confirmed as one of the nine Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels in 2003. The vineyard is located between Château Montrose and Cos d'Estournel, and has approximately 40 hectares of vines planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The grapes are harvested as late as possible and aged in new oak barrels for 18 months .
The 2016 Bordeaux vintage is widely considered excellent , even legendary. The winter was wet and one of the warmest on record. Warm, humid conditions continued throughout the spring, accelerating growth and causing early bud break. Temperatures then dropped but conditions remained humid. However, thanks to abundant rain, Bordeaux avoided the hail and frost typical of late spring. May finally arrived, bringing warmer temperatures favoring both vegetative growth and flowering. In late June, the rains stopped and a hot, dry summer ensued. Overall, the maturation process was slow, meaning that despite the intense summer heat, alcohol levels were kept in check, although acidity was also reasonably low.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc