CHÂTEAU CALVIMONT
AOC GRAVES RED

The 2020 vintage is particularly marked by a warm climate. The winter is mild, with little rainfall, accompanied by unusually warm temperatures. The budburst is early. The spring, warm and damp, favors an active growth. By contrast, the summer is dry and very hot, slowing down the maturation of the grapes. Fortunately, we receive a series of small stormy rains from mid-August onwards which boosts the ripening of the grapes. At harvest time, the berries are beautiful, very healthy and have a remarkable organoleptic quality. The wines are rich, aromatic and precise. The vintage is generous and intense. A tasty and voluptuous wine.

Unpredictable and unusual weather! An exceptionally short, mild and rainy winter. Despite the early budding of the vines, we avoided the spring frosts of March, April and May. The heat settles suddenly at the end of May and brings us into the summer period, which accelerates the development of the vines. Hot and dry summer. Stormy rains at the beginning of August allowed the grapes to ripen in ideal conditions with alternating hot, sunny days and cool nights. The wines are ripe, rich and aromatic. They have sap and precision. 2019 is a wine of style and depth, a wine of balance, power and purity.

The 2018 vintage was a real test of patience.
The first 6 months of the year were dominated by incessant rainfall and mild temperatures. The weather then changed radically on the 15 th of July, marking the start of a hot summer with periods of drought. The harvest period stretched from late August to late October, with the grapes reaching excellent levels of maturity. This exceptionally long and rain-free harvest period allowed us to fine-tune our picking operations. In the cellar the juices proved to be very consistent, with a beautiful colour. This was an unusual year with extreme conditions, but in the end it turned out to be an excellent vintage.

2017, a year that blew hot and cold…

Everything started out well. Bud break was even and took place three weeks earlier than usual –harbinger of a good vintage in Bordeaux.

However, two nights with frost did damage throughout the region, and our estate was not spared.

Fortunately, the plots located closest to the château, and thus not far from the Garonne, were hardly affected.

The harvest began on the 8th of September after a very dry, sunny, and hot month of August.

This fine weather is reflected in the quality of the wine, as is the expertise of our winemaking team.

The white wines are delicious, with a great deal of freshness and minerality.

The reds have a deep colour, lovely aromatics, excellent fruit, and attractive freshness. The wines are smooth, round, and balanced on the palate.

Due to challenging weather conditions, the 2017 vintage was low in volume. However, the care taken in the vineyard and cellar were rewarded by promising wines.

2016 will long be remembered because of the very unusual weather: heavy rain in winter, drought in summer, and a superb Indian summer. We had never seen such extreme and highly unusual conditions. The harvest was exceptionally long, beginning in early September for the white wines and late October – and even early November – for the reds and Cérons.
The wines are altogether magnificent. The reds are deeply-coloured and full of fruit, the whites are elegant and show great aromatic complexity, and the sweet wines have outstanding floral overtones.

This was a great year reflecting both quality and consistency.
The weather was perfect. It was hot and sunny weather until late July. Cooler temperatures and a few showers in August were conducive to good, even ripening, and the grapes were picked in excellent condition.
The harvest and fermentation took place without a hitch, beginning with Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris, followed by Sémillon, then Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes used to make Cérons were picked in several passes under ideal conditions.

A miraculous vintage! September and October have saved this vintage beyond expectations, and “made” it good to very good, especially thanks to the Cabernets. The robe is bright black cherry colour, the nose is sensual, soft and caressing. The palate has crisp and fresh red fruit notes.

With the beautiful months of July and August, without excessive drought, 2013 met the perfect conditions for a very good vintage

The terroir of the estate and meticulous work in the vineyard allowed the grapes to reach optimum maturity  for both the red and white wines in spite of contrasting climatic conditions. It gave aromatic, fresh and velvety wines with magnificent ageing potential.

The 2011 vintage was marked by autumn showers followed by a very dry winter that was also favourable for pruning and other work in the vineyard at that time. Spring was warm and sunny, whereas summer was cool with average rainfall.  The quality of the grapes that had not ripened properly by August was saved by summerlike conditions in September which concentrated flavour and aromas.

After a cold, dry winter, spring and summer in 2010 were beautiful. July was very hot and succeeded in concentrating the grapes. Alternating hot daytime temperatures and cool evenings during the vintage led to perfectly ripe grapes that produced well-balanced and aromatic wines.

After a dry, cool winter, warm, sunny weather in summer was ideal for ripening. These fine conditions continued throughout the month of September, produced sweet, juicy grapes with marvellous aromatic potential.