Chateau Pedesclaux Pauillac 5eme Cru Classe 2015

Description

Chateau Pedesclaux 2015 is a red Bordeaux wine from the Pauillac wine-growing appellation, it was classifed as a 5th Growth (5eme Cru Classe) in the famous Bordeaux wine classification of 1855. The 2015 vintage marks the first vintage in which Petit Verdot was added to the blend.

Chateau Pedesclaux had been founded 45 years earlier in 1810 by Pierre-Urbain Pédesclaux who was also working as a wine trader. In 1821 he purchased some plots from Mr. Lacoste, the owner of Château Grand Puy in Pauillac. The estate passed through a few other owners until the most recent phase of ownership when, in 2009,  the estate was purchased by Françoise and Jacky Lorenzetti Lorenzetti. The estate is located in Padarnac in Pauillac, not far east of Mouton and Lafite Rothschild.

Lorenzetti also owns Chateau Lilian Ladouys in Saint-Estèphe and 50% of Château d’Issan in Margaux with Emmanuel Cruse. Cruse comes from a family of vineyard owners and merchants who have been in the Médoc since the 18th century, he is now Pedesclaux’s Managing director. Consultant oenologist Eric Boissenot has been offering his expertise to the vinification and blending phases since 2013. Today the vineyards cover nearly 50 hectares following the successive acquisitions of Château Haut-Milon (neighbour to Mouton and Lafite) and of vines from Château Béhèré. They also have a new, state of the art gravity fed winery. The vineyards are planted with 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

The grapes are grown on Garonne gravel soils on limestone bedrock and the average vine age is 35 years old. A lot of hard work is done in the vineyard with disbudding, clipping, thinning out of leaves to allow a good crop and aeration of the grapes. Harvest is by hand into small crates and the grapes undergo first a bunch selection followed by berry selection. 

Chateau Pedesclaux 2015 is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The grapes undergo a period of cold maceration prior to fermentation and everything is moved via gravity (without the use of pumps). Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 60% of which are new, 40% second fill.