“71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, & 1% Petit Verdot from vines which ave 35 yrs of age and are planted in gravel, clay, & sand soils. After reception of the harvest, destemming, & crushing, the grapes were placed in temperature-controlled wooden or stainless-steel vats of variable capacity, allowing a precise & rigorous selection by plot. The heating & cooling system enables the alcoholic & malolactic fermentations to be controlled with precision. (The vatting period ranges from 18 to 24 days depending on the year.) Frequent pump-overs were performed to extract maximum colour & tannins from the skins.

“Once blended the wine was aged for 18 months in medium toast oak barrels sourced from the Allier & Nièvre forests in France, 50% of the barrels being brand new, the other half 2nd fill. Racking took place every three months up to the bottling. Traditional fining with egg whites is still carried out to clarify the wine. 14% ABV, 3.85 pH.”

If interested, go to https://top100.winespectator.com/lists/ , hit 2021 on the pulldown menu, & look for #2. [The U.S. Importer, http://mmdusa.net/portfolio/chateau-pichon-lalande/wines , may also have some “pro” input.] 😉

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