Château Bonalgue Pomerol 2015, Bordeaux, France

Ever since the French Revolution, the ‘Stones of Bonalgue’ have given – on this beautiful Pomerol terroir – a striking maturity to the grapes that grow here. The techniques may have changed but the spirit stays the same… and since 1926, the Bourotte family has enjoyed the freedom to work on this land unencumbered, paying tribute to the past, and to the rewards of a job well done. It’s the maturity of the grapes at harvest that is the key to Bonalgue’s great charm. Its personality: an early terroir, fully ripe grapes, the silky, velvety Merlot, and a strikingly aromatic nose. Appellation: Pomerol. Soils: Gravels over sandy-clayey soils. Grape varieties: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Vine density: 6,000-8,000 vines per hectare, depending on individual plots. Average age of vines: 25 years old. Green works: manual deleafing, leaf-trimming depending on timing of veraison. Harvesting: by hand into small crates; sorting before and after destemming on vibrating tables. Vats: termoregulated stianless steel and cement. Vinification: plot by plot; manual pumping over, punching of the cap and unballasting if necessary, maceration for around one month, pneumatic press, mlalolactic fermentation in barrel. Aged 18 months in fine-grained French oak barrels (50% new, 50% one wine).