Vintage In terms of the weather, although 2015 was slightly warmer than average, it was above all very dry (706 mm of rain, compared with an annual average of 862 mm), especially between February and July, from budbreak to veraison. As a result, the berries remained small, which explains why the yield was rather low even though we had hopes of a normal crop after flowering. Rainfall in August and September was higher than average, which helped to prevent the ripening process from coming to a halt in a vineyard already stressed by the lack of water. As a result, the grapes matured at rather different rates from one plot to another, according to the variety, the age of the vines and the terroir. In order to ensure that each grape variety and each plot was picked at optimum maturity, the harvest period was the longest in living memory. It lasted 23 days between our three estates, from the first Merlot clusters on 14 September to the last Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on 6 October.

The grapes were magnificent, and fermentation took place quickly. The wines immediately showed plenty of color and a complete array of very intense aromas ranging from red and black fruit to spice and incense. The tannins are generally very well-rounded, dense and seamlessly smooth. After blending, the wines still have the same aromatic intensity and complex, full bodied structures which barrel-maturing should further enhance. Our 2015 vintage in Pauillac is very similar in its heft and opulence to the 2005 vintage.

The wine has an impressively intense color and a complex nose dominated by fresh fruit aromas. It is huge on the palate, powerful, vibrant and incredibly smooth, sustained throughout by a freshness which imparts a deliciously succulent finish. There is a bracing energy to this wine. People will long write up the virtues of this 2015 as a wine for the long haul.