In 2008, Jacky and Françoise Lorenzetti purchased this beautiful Saint-Estèphe estate and immediately set about restoring it to its former glory. Lilian Ladouys’ vineyard, which had been very fragmented, underwent a major reorganization to concentrate the plots and optimize work in the vineyard. In 2009, a new semi-buried vat room further improved the vinification process. The 2009 vintage of Château Lilian Ladouys perfectly reflects the potential of a terroir that can finally express itself at its best. The weather conditions were certainly exceptional, but the reasoned cultivation methods, precise monitoring of ripening and elaborate winemaking methods are now bearing fruit.
The vegetative cycle of the vines took place under excellent conditions, with rapid bud-break and uniform flowering, leading to early ripening. Weather conditions made it possible to wait calmly for the Cabernet Sauvignon plots to ripen. The Merlots were harvested from September 30 to October 7, and the Cabernets from October 9 to 14. Hand-picking combined with new de-stemming and optical sorting techniques enabled us to select the best grapes while respecting their integrity. The new semi-buried vat-house, built in 2009, enables gravity-fed delestage operations to be carried out on the vinification tanks. This allows for gentle extraction of the grapes, while preserving their fruity aromas.
One-third of the wine was aged in new barrels for 12 months.2009 vintage is marked by an intense color. The fruit and the sensation of volume and fatness are very present. The tannic structure is dense, well-balanced and extremely smooth.2009 is a great vintage with great ageing potential.
Château Lilian Ladouys 2009 is available from all good wine merchants at an average retail price of €20.
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