Presentation
Château Pibran estate benefits from a prestigious, 17-hectare terroir on one of Pauillac’s most beautiful hilltops.
The wines benefit from exceptional support, with the vinification process and technical monitoring both carried out by the Château Pichon Baron team.
The vintage
- A cold and dry winter, followed by a warm spring: a fairly early bud break.
- At the beginning of April: a severe episode of frost, but with limited consequences.
- May: flowering and fruit set took place in very good weather conditions.
- June: high temperatures allowed the grapes to develop rapidly, with a first heat wave in mid-June, followed by a rainy spell beneficial for the vines.
- A sunny summer, with generally high temperatures and rain-free heatwaves.
- These conditions caused water constraints in our vines, however qualitative for our grapes, which gave a very promising tannic and anthocyanin richness.
- Mid-August was rainy and cool, which boosted photosynthetic activity.
- From 22nd August, a 4-week period of dry and very hot weather boosted ripening of seeds and polyphenols. This period without rainfall allowed the breakdown of the Cabernets’ varietal aromas.
Harvest
The harvest took place from 8th September to 3rd October:
- Merlot from 8th to 21st September,
- Cabernet Franc on 21st and 27st September,
- Petit Verdot on 19th September,
- Cabernet-Sauvignon from 19th September to 3rd October.
Winemaking
Our new installations are adapted for gravity loading, much appreciated among our technical teams, and for making a more precise plot selection thanks to our new wooden and stainless steel vats, which have smaller capacities.
We focused on the quality of the fruit by extending the cold pre-fermentation period before starting alcoholic fermentation with our vintage wild yeast. The fermentation process progressed quickly.
Maceration temperatures were maintained between 25 and 27°C. Extractions were mainly performed during mid-fermentation, and the duration of post-fermentation maceration was refined through daily tastings.
The Merlots were drawn off from 29th September to 11th October and the Cabernets from 10th to 24th October. Malolactic fermentation took place rapidly under pomace, allowing the wine to be transferred to barrels in separate batches. This was completed by 4th November.
Ageing
60 % from barrels of one vintage,
40 % in new barrels, for 18 months.
Varietals
Merlot : 55%
Cabernet sauvignon : 45%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 14.5 % vol.
Tasting
Dense and dark in colour, Château Pibran 2022 reveals a fresh, fine and expressive nose. Smoky, mocha notes from the ageing combine with ripe morello cherry and a hint of menthol. The attack is fresh and full-bodied, with a taut, crisp palate of cherry, vanilla and fresh almond. The finish is coated and long, with the fine limestone minerality that is the hallmark of this vintage.
The wine combines the smoothness of the 2022 vintage with the tonicity of this specific terroir. To be enjoyed from 5 years of age and over 20 years.
Pierre Montégut - Technical Director - July 2024
Bottling date: May 16th 2024