Chateau Lamothe Cissac

Tasting Note

Classic Left Bank claret from a Cru Bourgeois estate next door to Pauillac. Dark ruby, with blackcurrant and ripe dark fruit once it's had some air, plus soft spice and a hint of vanilla. Balanced, with soft tannins and a delicate finish. Give it a couple more years and it'll pick up lovely notes of leather, forest floor and smoke.

Drink it with: rack of lamb, grilled steak, or hard cheese after dinner.

The Winemaking

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Fully destemmed, fermented in temperature-controlled vats with two or three pump-overs a day, then 4–6 weeks on the skins. Aged for 12 months in French oak (25% new).

The Vineyards

33 hectares straddling Cissac (next to Pauillac) and the Vertheuil plateau (next to Saint-Estèphe), on gravel subsoils topped with clay-limestone and clay-gravel. HVE level 3 certified.

The Producer

Gabriel Fabre bought Lamothe-Cissac in 1964, replanted the vineyard and rebuilt the winery. His son Vincent Fabre runs it today.