Chateau BEAU SITE 1988
Château Beau-Site is located in Saint-Estèphe , Bordeaux . The cellars of Beau-Site have existed since the 18th century and are one of the many castles belonging to the Castéja family since 1955, through their large trading company: Borie-Manoux. The property covers over 100 hectares but only 35 hectares are planted with vines. The vineyard is mainly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, which represents 60% of production. Merlot dominates as the second most planted grape variety (30%), followed by small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Château obtained the status of Cru Bourgeois Supérieur in the Cru Bourgeois classification of 1932.
Château Beau-Site is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot . After the harvest, the grapes are macerated and fermentation lasts 14 to 20 days. The aging is carried out in oak barrels for 12 to 18 months , including 40% new barrels. The 1988 vintage for Bordeaux was generally good. A cold, wet winter gave way to an equally rough spring, which made rot a problem. Although the temperatures thankfully never dropped enough for frost damage to occur, the soggy and humid weather was still enough to hamper both bud break and flowering. Fortunately, summer brought hot and dry weather, with August seeing particularly high temperatures and conditions looking idyllic as harvest approached. Despite the various difficulties throughout the growing season, the wines obtained are surprisingly qualitative.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot