2012 Château Couhins-Lurton Grand Vin De Graves Domaine Bouchié-Chatellier The grapes are crushed and

The grapes are crushed and destemmed

The IPW scheme

as once you have tasted them you will see why Luke Jolliffe

open-top wooden fermenters with foot-pressing or manual punch-downs 1-2 times per day

Grapes are hand-picked and whole-berry fermented for 8-10 days (traditional maceration carbonique) followed by a further 2 or 3 days on the skins to assist with aromas

2012 Château Couhins-Lurton Grand Vin De Graves Domaine Bouchié-Chatellier The grapes are crushed andThe special clay gravel terroir of Chteau Couhins Lurton has given birth to a great left bank Merlot: it stands out in the appellation for its extreme finesse and intensity of fruit on the finish. Its nobility and ageing potential are a credit to its rank. Tasting Notes Colour Intense, black rimmed with violet. Nose The nose is dominated by the fruit: the ripe black cherry and blackberry aromas are intense but delicately highlighted by mild tobacco