chateau grand puy ducasse 2002

"the château grand puy ducasse, whose origins date back to the 17th century, was classified as a 5th vintage in 1855. it has enjoyed a good reputation among amateurs, especially since the 1990s, when efforts to revive the vintage began to bear fruit. the property was taken over in 1971 and completely restructured; the estate was also enlarged at that time. the real turning point came in 2004, when ca grands crus (crédit agricole) bought the castle and optimised the entire vineyard. today, the 40 hectares of the vineyard are spread over three plots sitting on graves that border to the north of prestigious castles: mouton, lafite and pontet-canet, in the centre, they are located in the very place of grand-puy, and to the south, on the plateau of saint-lambert. cabernet-sauvignon (62%) and merlot (38%) make up the vineyard encépagement. this variety of terroirs and the judicious choice of grape varieties make grand-puy ducasse a racy and elegant wine, with a subtle bouquet, reaching a perfect blossoming over the years. grand-puy ducasse also produces a second wine bearing the name of prelude to grand-puy ducasse, made from young vines, and, with breedings shorter than for the first wine. the great wine of the estate is aged in oak barrels (30% new) for 18 to 24 months. the nose is very fruity (blackcurrant aromas in particular), with notes of liquorice and pepper. the mouth reveals a beautiful juice, with a silky tannic weft and a very nice length."