Château de Cérons Graves dry white AOC
2021 :
A tightrope walker’s balance, a goldsmith’s precision, an angel’s patience, steel nerves and an unwavering optimism were needed to hope to produce a few barrels this year. The vintage begins with a month punctuated by nights spent fighting against the effects of frost. A fight that was successful depending on the parcels, the heart of the Graves was unfortunately well hit. The incessant rainfall throughout May, the second half of June and the first half of July required constant attention to avoid mildew.The month of September offering us sunny and warm days followed by cool nights, allowed us to reach, step by step, a satisfactory maturity and a very rare vintage… but worthy of interest.
Worldwide wine that has made Bordeaux famous, 2021 is the vintage of reflections on the future.
2020 : The 2020 vintage is particularly marked by a warm climate. The winter is mild, with little rainfall, accompanied by unusually warm temperatures. The budburst is early. The spring, warm and damp, favors an active growth. By contrast, the summer is dry and very hot, slowing down the maturation of the grapes. Fortunately, we receive a series of small stormy rains from mid-August onwards which boosts the ripening of the grapes.
At harvest time, the berries are beautiful, very healthy and have a remarkable organoleptic quality. The wines are rich, aromatic and precise. The vintage is generous and intense.
A tasty and voluptuous wine.
2019 : Unpredictable and unusual weather! An exceptionally short, mild and rainy winter. Despite the early budding of the vines, we avoided the spring frosts of March, April and May.
The heat settles suddenly at the end of May and brings us into the summer period, which accelerates the development of the vines. Hot and dry summer. Stormy rains at the beginning of August allowed the grapes to ripen in ideal conditions with alternating hot, sunny days and cool nights.
The wines are ripe, rich and aromatic. They have sap and precision. 2019 is a wine of style and depth, a wine of balance, power and purity.
2018 : The 2018 vintage was a real test of patience.
The first 6 months of the year were dominated by incessant rainfall and mild temperatures. The weather then changed radically on the 15th of July, marking the start of a hot summer with periods of drought.
The harvest period stretched from late August to late October, with the grapes reaching excellent levels of maturity. This exceptionally long and rain-free harvest period allowed us to fine-tune our picking operations. In the cellar the juices proved to be very consistent, with a beautiful colour.
This was an unusual year with extreme conditions, but in the end it turned out to be an excellent vintage.
2017 : 2017, a year that blew hot and cold…
Everything started out well. Bud break was even and took place three weeks earlier than usual –harbinger of a good vintage in Bordeaux.
However, two nights with frost did damage throughout the region, and our estate was not spared.
Fortunately, the plots located closest to the château, and thus not far from the Garonne, were hardly affected. The harvest began on the 8th of September after a very dry, sunny, and hot month of August. This fine weather is reflected in the quality of the wine, as is the expertise of our winemaking team. The white wines are delicious, with a great deal of freshness and minerality.
The reds have a deep colour, lovely aromatics, excellent fruit, and attractive freshness. The wines are smooth, round, and balanced on the palate.
Due to challenging weather conditions, the 2017 vintage was low in volume. However, the care taken in the vineyard and cellar were rewarded by promising wines.
2016 : will long be remembered because of the very unusual weather: heavy rain in winter, drought in summer, and a superb Indian summer. We had never seen such extreme and highly unusual conditions. The harvest was exceptionally long, beginning in early September for the white wines and late October – and even early November – for the reds and Cérons.
The wines are altogether magnificent. The reds are deeply-coloured and full of fruit, the whites are elegant and show great aromatic complexity, and the sweet wines have outstanding floral overtones.
2015 : This was a great year reflecting both quality and consistency.
The weather was perfect. It was hot and sunny weather until late July. Cooler temperatures and a few showers in August were conducive to good, even ripening, and the grapes were picked in excellent condition.
The harvest and fermentation took place without a hitch, beginning with Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris, followed by Sémillon, then Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes used to make Cérons were picked in several passes under ideal conditions.
2014 : Refined and complex nose, still holding on, which presents a mix of ripe citrus notes, salty elements and an elegant and integrated oak flavour. Faithful to the nose, mouth brings strength and freshness. The signature of this wine is an aromatic and a structural precision, demonstrating mastery of each step of its development.
2013 : With the beautiful months of July and August, without excessive drought, 2013 met the perfect conditions for a very good vintage in dry white wines. We made pure, very fruity wines with great aromatic intensity.
2012 : The terroir of Château de Cérons and meticulous work in the vineyard allowed the grapes to reach optimum maturity for red and white wines in spite of contrasting climatic conditions. It gave aromatic, fresh and silky wines with magnificent ageing potential.
