Chateau Picque Caillou 2020

A red wine from Pessac-Leognan

The estate

Built at the heart of the 18th century by the architect La Clotte, Chateau Picque Caillou has joyfully passed through the ages. Owned by the Calvet family since 1997, it has the particular feature of being part of a small circle of castles – six, to be precise – located, today, within the Bordeaux ring road. Like Chateau Haut-Brion or even Chateau Pape-Clement, the estate has withstood the city’s advances on its peaceful lands to offer Bordeaux wines which combine elegance and purity.

The vineyard

On the Pessac-Leognan appellation, Chateau Picque Caillou covers 21 hectares of red and white grape varieties deeply rooted in a soil of Gunzian gravel and cradled by the mild oceanic climate typical to the region. The 2020 Chateau Picque Caillou is made from a vineyard with 17 hectares of red grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot) belonging to the estate.

Winemaking and aging

After the harvests, which began on 11 September with the Merlot and ended on 24 September with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the berries were taken to the cellar to begin the winemaking process overseen by Ms. Valerie Lavigne. On the final 15 days of December 2020, the wines finish their fermentation by being put into casks. The wine then ages for a year in barrels, of which 40% are new, 35% are barrels of one previous wine and 25% are barrels of two previous wines.

Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Petit Verdot (10%).