Fermentation/maceration

The idea is to extract from the grapes their best components, while the yeasts, in developing, transform the sugars in the grapes into new yeast and alcohol.

Fermentation and maceration take place in both cement vats and stainless steel tanks, under strict surveillance and with numerous pumping-over. Maceration varies in length, depending on the characteristics of individual vintages, anywhere from around 8 to 35 days.

Fruit from young vines undergo lighter extractions. The wine produced is less complex, lighter, but also more fruity, and eventually becomes one of the components of the second wine.

The malo-lactic fermentation, natural transformation of one of the acids found in young wines, takes place, in part, in barrels.

Barrel aging

craditionally, this takes place in split oak barrels, as opposed to barrels made from sawed staves. The wines evolve during 12 to 24 months. During their stay in barrels they progressively separate from their lees, which we especially take car of, in order to enhance the complexity of the wines.

Blending

The grapes of each block of vineyard are isolated during harvest, vinification, and barrel aging. The different lots are tasted periodically, and the most complementary ones are combined to produce the wine of Château Boyd-Cantenac. The other lots, along with some of the wines produced by the young vines,.most often are used in the composition of the second wines.

Wines

The recent vintages are dark and dense, with complex aromas of fruit and spices. After some years in bottle, comes the bouquet of advanced aromas, to enhance the pleasure of the tasting.

In the mouth, the entry often straightforward. Then comes a mouthfilling volume, and at the end, the ripe tannins assure excellent aging capability.
The general balance is always elegant, more aromatic than powerful, carateristic of the traditional MARGAUX wines.