CHÂTEAU KIRWAN 2014

Château Kirwan 2014

“While the wine from this major estate is dry at this stage, it is just covering for the juicy black-currant fruit. It is a finely crafted wine, firm and structured while preserving the great fruit of the vintage. With this balance, the wine will develop well. Drink from 2024. #Cellar Selection” – 94/100, Wine Enthusiast

VARIETIES: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
REGION: Margaux AOC, Bordeaux, France
AGEING: 18 months in oak barrels, 40% new
GUARDING POTENTIAL: Enjoy now or will cellar well up to 10 years
SERVE: Serve at 16 – 18ºC
FITS TO: Pair beautifully with Red Meat (Beef and Duck) and then, when it goes older, match it with a Filet Mignon de Porc accompanied with Prunes or Noble Mushrooms
CRITICS SCORES: WE/94, JS/93, WS/92, RP/91, D/90
VIVINO: Average 4.2 ★★★★✰

___________________________________________________

3ᵉ Grand Cru Classé – 1855, Margaux Appellation | Range | Château Kirwan 2014

VINTAGE 2014
A year of gourmet elegance…

Following quick growth in its early stages, this vintage soon became cause for concern due to particularly humid and stormy weather in spring and summer. We had several hail storms, but fortunately they caused no serious damage. August was the coolest on record for the past 15 years, delaying the ripening process. Summer weather finally arrived on August 27th, helping the grapes to ripen. Water stress gradually appeared as September was the hottest ever recorded. The grapes became naturally concentrated.

Even though the grapes were stressed, we became more and more relieved… our morale improved as we reached the final stretch of this marathon growing season. Everything started to look possible, and we held out hope for a successful vintage.

We began harvesting the Merlot grapes on September 23rd. Sugar levels were very high, reaching 15% alcohol in the young vines, which are more sensitive to water stress. The Merlots were ripe, with velvety tannins and excellent—but not excessive—concentration. The Cabernets thrive on slow ripening and took full advantage of the Indian summer. They were harvested between October 6th and 11th, two weeks after the first Merlots. The berries were smaller, fleshier and more concentrated than the Merlots. The aromas were both delicately fruity and spicy, and the tannins of exceptionally high quality. This vintage rather reminds me of 2001 for the way the season unfolded: a chaotic summer and a magnificent Autumn. The main difference being that in September the weather was much warmer in 2014 which allowed the tannins to mature very early, unlike in 2001 when the tannins required much more time. At the end of the maturing process and as bottling began, the 2014 vintage presented a generous and fully rounded fruity character, with all the finesse one expects from a Margaux.

Victory at the end of this marathon! 2014 will go down as a great year. It stands out as a modern vintage that can be enjoyed relatively young, while promising excellent ageing potential.