2012 Château Lucas, Lussac-St Emilion, Bordeaux

2012 Château Lucas, Lussac-St Emilion, Bordeaux

Product: 20121012550
 
2012 Château Lucas, Lussac-St Emilion, Bordeaux

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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Description

Drinking brilliantly now at 5 years old, this cuvée is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, from a 10 hectare plot on the same Montmorillonite clay found at many of Saint-Emilion’s most prestigious addresses. Expect aromas of plum, black currant and savoury spices. Approximately one fifth of the wine is oak aged, contributing rondeur and richness to the palate. 
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd

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About this WINE

Chateau Lucas

Chateau Lucas

Chateau Lucas is located in the Saint Emilion satellite community and wine appellation of Lussac, approximately 45 kilometers east of Bordeaux. It belongs to the Vauthier family, also owners of the famous Chateau Ausone.
Chateau Lucas owns 18 hectares of vineyards from which three cuvees are made. The main wine, the eponymous Chateau Lucas, comes from a 12 hectare vineyard and comprises 50/50 Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 20% of the wine is aged in new oak.

It is unusual to find a Bordeaux at this level with such a significant amount of Cabernet Franc; it makes the wine quite linear but adds a very interesting dimension to the aromatics.  The Cabernet Franc is successful here because the property is situated on a sandy, gravelly plateau which differs geologically from the rest of the appellation, an unusual similarity to Ch. Cheval Blanc, a château also renowned for its use of Cabernet Franc. 


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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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