Château Mahon-Laville, Bordeaux Supérieur
Vintage: 2023
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | LA301A23 | 12 x 75 | Natural Cork | Contact Us |
Producer
Château Mahon-Laville is a red wine produced in Sauternes by Jean-Christophe Barbe, a professor of oenology at Bordeaux University specialising in noble rot. Jean-Christophe is famed for his outstanding Sauternes estate Château Laville. Although Château Laville is predominantly planted with white grapes, Jean-Christophe has set aside a 1.3-hectare vineyard of red varieties to create Château Mahon-Laville.
The harvest team at Château Laville are trained to make multiple passes through the estate's vineyards, selecting only the perfectly botrytised grapes required to make top Sauternes. Jean-Christophe utilises these skilled pickers to ensure the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for Château Mahon-Laville are only harvested when they are perfectly ripe. Such a level of detail is not always possible in this area of Bordeaux, with many producers forced to harvest when pickers are available, rather than when grapes have reached optimum ripeness levels.
Château Mahon-Laville’s Bordeaux Supérieur is made from 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 12 months in oak. This wine marries ripe plum and blackcurrant aromas with a subtle cigar-box spiciness.
Vineyards
Jean-Christophe's original 1.3 hectares planted with red grape varieties are located in Laville, on a plot of land called Mahon, lending its name to this wine. Soils are predominantly clay and the average age of the vines is 18 years. The work that goes into it - leaf stripping to expose the fruit, crop thinning before véraison to lower yields and aid ripeness - all add to this great value Bordeaux.
Vintage
The 2023 growing season began with favourable spring conditions that promoted uniform flowering and early budburst, which avoided April frost damage. June brought hot, humid weather requiring active mildew management. From mid August, conditions shifted dramatically to an exceptionally hot summer with an extended heatwave, followed by more moderate weather that created optimal grape ripening conditions through harvest.
Vinification
The grapes were hand picked and spent three to four weeks on skins fermenting at 28°C-30°C. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures of 22°C, followed by ageing for 12 months in barrel.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
Deep purple in colour, this wine has a classic Bordeaux nose packed with spice, blackberry and hints of toasty oak. The palate shows ripe, supple fruit, smooth tannins and a grip on the finish that reminds you that you are drinking a Claret.
Alcohol (ABV)
14.5%
Acidity
7.4 g/l
Residual Sugar
0.4 g/l
pH
3.77