As more people taste the 2010 Bordeaux wines, it is all adding up to be a great vintage – the third of the last decade with 2005 and 2009 completing the trio. The season started cool and wet through spring becoming warmer and drier as summer progressed. Dry settled weather from July onwards allowed gentle and even ripening. Cool nights and no excessively hot periods protected the fruit’s colour, fresh aromas and natural acidity.
In our first vintage as owners of the Hourcat Sud block, we immediately started the conversion to organic viticulture with impressive results, although the full effects will take several years to show. Through careful attention in the vineyard, the fruit remained in superb condition throughout the season and was finally harvested at close to optimum ripeness during the first weekend of October.
The wine was fermented and macerated in stainless steel vat with daily pump over and piégeage for up to 15 days before racking and pressing of the marc. The malolactic fermentation was held until the wine was run off into one-year-old hand selected oak barrels. After five months of oak maturation, the wine has been re-assembled back into the vat awaiting bottling. During our April visit to Cardan, we had the opportunity to taste all eight barriques and report the impressive results:-
The 2010 Paradise Rescued Cabernet Franc is a fine elegant fruity wine in the true Bordeaux Cabernet Franc tradition in this excellent vintage. The colour is bright and attractive with a nose of ripe fruit and blackcurrant finesse. The wine is young and ready to drink. The taste is smooth, with gentle tannins and carefully integrated oak complexity. The flavour lingers gently but long on the palate. An excellent aperitif or food wine to serve with white meat, stronger fish dishes, pasta and mild cheese.
And yes, before you ask, the wine will have a unique name under our brand, but you will have to wait a little longer for that….sorry!!! Keep you posted.
http://paradiserescued.com/our-wine