Château Méric
19, Route de Vensac - 33590 Jau-Dignac-et-Loirac
Tél. : + 33 (0)5 57 75 01 55
19, Route de Vensac - 33590 Jau-Dignac-et-Loirac
Tél. : + 33 (0)5 57 75 01 55
Very fruity and full of finesse, the 2015 vintage can also be called a great vintage at Méric. The Chateau Méric « 1868 » is a selection from the best of the Chateau Méric 2015 vintage. The selection (Prise bois) is made in the vast (during the fermentation and vatting) then it's brought on for 24 months in 400 litre barrels (demi-muid).
The team at Chateau Méric have been able to develop this splendid vintage, which mixes the red fruit flavour of the black Merlots and the beautiful structure and freshness of the Petit Verdot, thanks to work based on the theories of reasoned farming, the soils Garonne gravels, a privileged exposition and the aging in French oak.
This vintage is the expression of a very pure, well concentrated ripe fruit. The Petit Verdot grapes were especially good this year and their crisp and fruity taste stood out particularly during the blending.
The bud burst started at the beginning of April in good conditions. The season was promising: mild spring temperatures brought quick and regular flowering around the 6th June, and lovely grapes were forming: the first clues of a good yield ! At this stage, the 2015 vintage looks to be an exceptional year for the whole Bordeaux area.
The summer followed with very high temperatures, and a July heat wave. The lack of water very early in the season filled the grapes with tannins and thickened their skins, but also slightly upset the ripening process. The first ripe grapes appeared between 24th July and 10th August on each plot!
Rain in August helped to soothe the situation and the ripening and maturity advanced quickly. The end of the season was particularly wet which complicated things, but our methods of cultivation helped us through. The work on the growing vines and particularly the leaf thinning done at the beginning of July helped us keep the fruit producing area dry and well ventilated, less inclined to develop Botrytis. Growing grass between the vines limits the water absorbed by the vine; the thick skins resist and enable the grape to reach a good maturity.
The grape harvest in 2015 stretched over a long period: from the picking of the Merlot plots, which ripened earlier, to the last plot of Petit Verdot, between 23rd September and 6th October. High temperatures and an east wind enabled each plot to enjoy the sunshine and reach a really good maturity. The grapes were harvested mechanically, but sorted manually.
This traditional work is now done with modern oenological and technological material. The fermentations take place in thermo regulated stainless steel tanks, at quite high temperatures between 28/30°C to extract all the colour and flesh from the fruit. Further extractions were possible this year with these wonderfully mature grapes. Maceration after the alcoholic fermentation, vatting for between 3 and 4 weeks. Malolactic fermentation in wooden casks.