In The Cellar
Following cold pre-fermentation maceration, the wine is kept on the skins for 15 to 30 days in concrete and stainless-steel vats of varying sizes for fine-tuned plot-by-plot fermentation. Each operation is carried out according to the vintage and grapes, and all vats are analysed independently. The methods applied are determined by tasting the grapes and assessing the condition of the vineyards, then tasting the juice. The wines are aged for 15 to 20 months in French oak barrels from 10 different cooperages, including 70% new barrels.
In The Vineyard
"Our wines are produced on the finest limestone terroirs in the St Émilion appellation (30 to 50 metres of topsoil on the parent rock). It is, therefore, only natural that they express the minerality of their terroir. All the vines on the plateau are planted on top of 2 or 3 levels of quarries extending up to 11 metres below ground. During our underground expeditions, it is not uncommon to discover clusters of vine roots which capture the air's humidity on rocks 8-10 metres below the earth's surface. While 70% of the vines are planted on the plateau, the remaining 30% are grown on steep slopes in a small valley, reflecting the rich diversity of the terroir. This varies from pure limestone to marl limestone characteristic of the Champagne region to tufa to multicoloured clay soils (red clay, clay-limestone and even blue clay, characteristic of the Pétrus vineyard)." JEAN-MICHEL GARCION, technical director since 1992.
"The 2020 Tour Baladoz is a rich, heady Saint-Émilion. Black cherry, mocha, leather, tobacco, incense, dried herbs and cedar all build effortlessly in this mid-weight, supple Saint-Émilion that will drink well pretty much right out of the gate. There's lovely complexity and plenty of character here. " - Antonio Galloni. "This is a lovely deep dark black fruited wine loaded with ripe black currants, salty black liquorice, dried violets and seductive notes of incense and scented candles. The palate shows a beautifully defined shape and frame, sleek glassy acids and beautifully polished marble tannins that add ample structural frame to display the tight knit, earthy blue and black berry fruit concentration. Fabulously harmonious and balanced with a perfectly massaged, dry mineral finish. Such impressive density with light touch concentration making for a seriously classy right bank expression." - Greg Sherwood MW.
