Château Macquin Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion 2023

Deep ruby red in colour, this wine has intense aromas of ripe raspberry and blackcurrant on the nose, along with spicy notes of cinnamon and pepper. The palate is full-bodied with concentrated flavours of cassis, raspberry and tobacco and a lifted acidity. Silky tannins linger on the long, persistent finish.

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently crushed and moved to temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for fermentation, some of which were lined with oak staves. Fermentation lasted around three weeks with regular pumping over of the cap in order to extract optimum levels of colour and tannin. Following fermentation, malolactic fermentation took place in tank and then part of the wine was aged in new French oak barrels, giving the wine structure and complexity without overpowering the fruit. The remaining portion was kept in stainless steel until the final blend was assembled and bottled.

The 2023 vintage in Bordeaux was characterised by hot and dry conditions throughout the growing season, with temperatures from February onwards consistently above average and levels of rainfall consistently below average. Budbreak came early, with some April frosts following this. Flowering, fruit set and veraison were even and normal. Despite the lack of water, the vines managed to retain good health right up until harvest, which began earlier than usual.