Château Odilon Haut-Médoc

In 1979 this property was acquired by Baron Edmond de Rothschild who already owned the neighboring estates: Châteaux Clarke and Malmaison. Château Odilon is now part of the estates led by Benjamin de Rothschild, the son of Baron Edmond. Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite has been taking care of the distribution since 1993. Previously named Château Peyre-Lebade based on its geographical location, the estate has been renamed Château Odilon, in honor of painter Odilon Redon who spent his childhood and most of its active life on the property. His most famous paintings have been inspired by the bucolic landscapes of the Médoc, scattered with moor and marshlands.

Château Odilon is in the Listrac-Médoc appellation, in the middle of the limestone plateau, away from the Gironde estuary. The property thus benefits from a relatively sheltered environment. The clay-limestone soil enables a remarkable resistance to periods of dry weather. The terroir has proven to be particularly well-suited to Merlot, in a region where Cabernet Sauvignon traditionally predominantes. As a result, Château Odilon has a very distinctive character for a Médoc wine. 2018 will no doubt be one of Bordeaux’s great vintages, despite some particularly capricious weather: an exceptionally rainy winter and spring resulted in an unprecedented threat of mildew, the likes of which had not been seen in living memory. May and July then brought devastating hailstorms that destroyed up to 80% of some vineyards. Fortunately, the situation improved dramatically over the summer, which was the hottest since 2003. Conditions were ideal for the grapes to ripen: the contrast between warm, sunny days and cool nights resulted in good aromatic concentration and an excellent balance of sugar and acidity.

Manual and mechanical harvest with a sorting on the whole harvest. Vinification is in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats with cold pre-fermentation maceration and pumping over. Micro-oxygenation in vats. Fermentation takes place over 15 days under controlled temperature of 64°F. The wine is aged in barrels for a period of 14 months.

Very beautiful deep garnet color. The wine has an expressive nose marked by ripe, fresh fruits. Fine, slightly vanilla, notes of wood complete the bouquet after aeration. On the palate it is very elegant, where the coated tannins are tempered by a beautiful acidity. The whole is elegant, long, intense and gives way to a fruity and tasty finish.