Château Charmail 2018

The first of the three "sunny" vintages at the end of the 2010s, heralding scorching summers in Bordeaux. The 2018 growing season began with a rainy spring, which caused some challenges with mildew, especially in organic vineyards. However, the long, dry summer that followed was marked by intense heat, allowing the vines to thrive, particularly on Charmail’s gravel and clay-limestone soils. The summer heat concentrated the grapes, with cool nights preserving their freshness, leading to a vintage defined by balance, power, and depth.

The 2018 harvest began early, on September 20th, with Merlot showing exceptional concentration due to the summer heat. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot ripened slowly through the extended warmth and were harvested into mid-October. Each grape variety was picked at its peak, ensuring a wine of intensity and finesse, thanks to the slow, even ripening during the season.

For the 2018 vintage, a 15-day cold maceration was followed by a fermentation process designed to extract deep color and flavor without compromising freshness. The heat of the vintage was tempered by gentle extraction methods, ensuring a balance between the intensity of the fruit and the elegance of the tannins. The wine emerged as bold and structured, with a complexity that mirrors the hot, dry conditions of the year.

In 2018, 95% of the wine was aged in traditional 225L oak barrels, with 30% of them being new. A small portion (5%) was aged in concrete egg-shaped vats, which brought a subtle freshness to the blend. The use of both barrels and concrete allowed for a harmonious aging process, integrating the wine’s rich, ripe fruit with soft, well-rounded tannins. This vintage has the depth and structure to age gracefully over the coming decade.