Pascale holds up a beautiful tasting glass of Cabernet Franc Cloud9 2012
Winter in Bordeaux is not always great for the weather but we need a cold period to divide the seasons and set up the next vintage. Cold is positive! And so is the (continual) rain that we need to put more water back into the soil.
In the winery, the weather doesn’t really at the moment! Vintage 2012 is progressing and it’s time to report the news…that’s why we are here! I have thought long and hard about how to write this and I am still no further forward! On Wednesday, Pascale took me into the winery. I brought four clean tasting glasses and that moment had arrived – what would Paradise Rescued 2012 wines taste like?
I still cannot come to terms with the incredible taste of the Cabernet Franc. We were always fearful that the 2010 Cloud9 might have been “beginner’s luck”, that its unique soft fruit taste might be a “one off”. We were scared that producing a brand from a small vineyard block might be a risk. No way….if everything continues to plan, 2012 Cabernet Franc from Hourcat Sud is classic Cloud9. It is identical to the 2010, only better in every aspect of its tasting. The low yield of 2012 and the three years of dedicated organic conversion have delivered an amazing result. The nose is fine, young and fruity. The body is already good before the “barrel maturation” does its work. The tannins and length are again silky smooth. We are specifically searching out the right aged barrels with an organic wine history to mature the wine into something very special.
And what about the Cabernet Merlot, I hear you ask? I think our feedback on that will have to wait for another week or two. No bad news though – in fact to the contrary – although we are in a new territory again and we are still learning about the potential of our vineyards.
But oh, yes, we are really on Cloud9!! A tradition is beginning.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]