Dedicated to expressing its terroir and dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, Château Dauzac is showcasing its beautifully complex Franc de Pied 2021 vintage, a great wine for ageing.

“One vintage follows another but no two are alike,” Château Dauzac explains. “The 2021 vintage called for a lot of patience and commitment.” The winery runs us through the journey behind the vintage which it is presenting at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2023.

Winter: The vintage started with an especially mild and rainy winter. The bud break was uniform and occurred early, but the extra-cold and rainy spring meant that this head start was soon lost.

Spring: During the spell of frost in April, Château Dauzac’s vineyards were protected due to their proximity to the Gironde estuary, which acts as a natural thermal regulator. Flowering began around May 25 in ideally warm and dry weather.

Summer: June was especially rainy, with approximately 127% more rain than average. At times, the rain had an impact on flowering, with traces of coulure, also know as shatter, and millerandage. The cold and damp summer called for watchfulness at all times.

Autumn: Veraison was delayed due to the loss of 20% in our earliest-ripening Merlot plots and ended October 13th with our grand Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which managed to take advantage of the sunny days after the rainy spell in early October. Plot-by-plot selection and meticulous sorting of the grapes harvested allowed for high-quality winemaking.

The Result: The mature balances are reminiscent of the past century’s great vintages: aromas of crisp fruit, lots of subtlety and great length on the palate. It has the freshness and structure that make Bordeaux wines so famous.

Hall 3, D 182