Chateau Boutisse 2005, St Emilion Grand Cru

Chateau Boutisse 2005, St Emilion Grand Cru

Purchased in 1996, Chateau Boutisse is the Milhade flagship estate. It is located in the commune of Saint Christophe des Bardes, one of the top communes in AC St-Emilion. It is a relatively large estate for St-Emilion with 23 hectares, mainly planted with Merlot. Huge investments have been poured into the vineyards since 1996 with several parcels of vines being completely replanted. Chateau Boutisse possesses excellent terroir; when the soil was ripped and prepared for planting, large chunks of the recherché limestone were visible under the chalky clay topsoil. Furthermore, certain parcels have excellent southern exposure whilst others are planted on gentle slopes.

Grapes: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Soil: Chalky clay with limestone
Vines: Average age 25-30 years
Vinification: Grapes are gravity fed into small, temperature controlled stainless steel vats. Prolonged fermentation is triggered by natural yeasts, followed by a 3 week maceration. Malolactic takes place in new oak barrels. Fining is with egg whites and racking is done every 3 months. After 18 months ageing in new oak, the wine is lightly filtered before bottling.