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
The 2014 vintage is characterized by a very pure fruit.
The Chateau Méric « 1868 » is a selection from the best of the Chateau Méric 2014 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 Meric 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.
The beautiful late summer of the 2014 vintage let the grapes reach full maturity with wonderful colours. 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 result is a superb concentration and an excellent conservation together with a very expressive taste in this 2014 vintage of Château Méric‘s « 1868 ».
2014 started with two very mild and damp months. Thus the budding started fairly early at the beginning of April. Cool temperatures followed in April and May which slowed down growth and the flowers came mid June, spot on the ten year average. The summer that followed was relatively cool, but the north Médoc caught up from mid July with a heat wave and favourable lack of water. The ripening started at the beginning of August. September had perfect weather conditions for the maturing grapes: the above average temperatures and the day/night temperature range activate the anthocyanin syntheses (responsible for the wine’s colour) and the ripeness of the pips.
The 2014 grape harvest started with the first plots of Merlot on 3rd October and finished with the picking of the aforementioned Petit Verdot on the 17th October. The grapes were harvested mechanically, as each plot reached optimum ripeness, 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. The marc needed working on; the extraction was intensive as the fruit was of high quality and ripe. The extraction was done respecting both the fruit and the flesh. 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.