Rich, elegant and sensual wines
These wines are supple, firm and rich, with notes of red and black berries (strawberry, raspberry and cassis), floral aromas (violet), as well as notes of resin and spices. Élevage in oak barrels also imparts chocolaty, vanilla and roasted aromas to these very sensual and elegant wines.
With a slight predominance of Merlot (50% of planted surfaces), and a strong minority of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), these wines are a perfect example of the Bordeaux balance between suppleness and firmness, richness and aromatic persistence, with wonderful ageing potential.
An appropriately-named appellation
The cradle of vines in Bordeaux, the Graves AOC, located on a 50 km strip of land in the south of Bordeaux, is named after its smooth stones deposited by the Garonne River. The soil is comprised of alluvial deposits carried by the Garonne River from the Pyrenees Mountains. The ground underneath is almost pure sand or hardpan (iron-oxide cemented sand). It is here that the vines' deepest roots find the nutrients necessary to create great wine.
Protected from poor weather by a dense pine forest and from heat by the breeze from the river, the Graves terroir has a perfect microclimate for growing vines.
Average yearly production: 121 826 hL
Declared surface (2009): 2 667 ha
Visit the Graves AOC’s web site.
