2009 Château Clarke, Listerac-Médoc, Bordeaux

2009 Château Clarke, Listerac-Médoc, Bordeaux

Product: 20098221320
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2009 Château Clarke, Listerac-Médoc, Bordeaux

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About this WINE

Ch. Clarke

Ch. Clarke

The origins of the Château Clarke date back to the 12th century when the Cistercian monks of the Vertheuil Abbey planted the first vines in what is now the wine commune of Listrac-Médoc in Bordeaux. Subsequently, the knight Tobie Clarke purchased the land that would permanently bear his name in 1818. Then, after being repeatedly handed down and finally sold, the property was bought in 1973 by the Baron Edmond de Rothschild.
Benjamin de Rothschild and Ariane de Rothschild are now at the helm of the property

The once neglected vineyard was completely re-planted between 1974 and 1978, to attain its current wine-producing area of 54 hectares. The vines are planted on clay-limestone hilltops that enable the Merlot grape to express itself at its best. And ever since the first vintage year at Château Clarke, in 1978, the quality of the wines has been on the ascend.

The wine is typically a blend of 70% or more Merlot, the remainder made up from Cabernet Sauvignon, predominantly aged in new barrels for 16-18 months.

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Listrac

Listrac

Listrac is the furthest from the Gironde of all the named wine-producing communes. At about 40m above sea level, it is some of the highest land in the Médoc. The soil is mainly clay and limestone on a gentle rise, and this contributes to the wine style – which is usually rather austere and dense when compared to its more famous neighbours.

Listrac wines typically have a higher proportion of Merlot than other Médoc wines. They are medium to full-bodied and have been described as having the fruit and finesse of St Julien combined with the firmness and structure of St Estèphe. They are often deeply-coloured and noticeably tannic when young, and need a few years of bottle-ageing to show at their best.

Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Clarke, Ch. Fourcas Hosten, Ch. Ducluzeau, Ch. Fonréaud, Ch. Fourcas-Dupré, Ch. Mayne Lalande, Ch. Peyradon Lagrevette.

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Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.

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