Domaine du Jaugaret Bordeaux Saint-Julien 2018

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot

The petite estate of Domaine du Jaugaret has been in the Fillastre family since 1654. Jean-François Fillastre, the current proprietor, is dedicated to preserving the traditions not only of Jaugaret but of the St. Julien appellation. Jaugaret encompasses a mere 1.3 hectares of vineyards, made up almost exclusively of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) with some Petit Verdot and Malbec. The average age of the vines is over 50 years (as of 2011) and some of the Malbec vineyards are in excess of 100 years old. This combination of grape varieties allows Jaugaret to find the ultimate expression of the terroir of Saint Julien, taking advantage of the deep gravel beds and the long growing season. The old vines of Jaugaret, combined with the unfertile, gravelly soils, results in naturally low yields which results in wines with a concentration virtually unequalled in Saint Julien.

The grapes are placed into a small press and are crushed manually. The cuvaison is long, frequently extending three (3) weeks or more. The wine is then racked into small barrels (only a small percentage of which are new) to complete the malolactic fermentation and then are left to age in a small, damp underground cellar with minimal racking for approximately thirty (30) months. The wines are never filtered before bottling.