Le Pic du Versant - Louis Mitjavile 2022
Le Pic du Versant 2022 marks a new step in the world of Caroline and Louis Mitjavile. Formerly called Le Versant, this vintage takes the name Le Pic du Versant from the 2022 harvest onwards, without losing what already made it charming: a gourmet, deep, and immediately recognizable expression of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. The wine continues the tradition of Domaine de l’Aurage, a family estate located east of Saint-Émilion, in one of the most interesting areas of the right bank of Bordeaux. The Mitjavile signature is found in this pursuit of achieved maturity, velvety texture, ripe fruit, and noble aging. Le Pic du Versant offers a particularly attractive entry point into this universe, with a style that is both accessible, refined, and very well constructed. The 2022 vintage, sunny and generous in Bordeaux, gives here a fleshy, expressive, and already very charming wine. This is a cuvée that shakes up the sometimes classic image of Bordeaux, with lots of pleasure, sap, and personality.
The Le Pic du Versant 2022 cuvée is based on a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot, very predominant, brings flesh, velvety texture, fruit depth, and that almost creamy sensation often characteristic of the Mitjavile family wines. The Cabernet Franc completes the blend with a floral, spicy, and fresher touch, giving relief to the palate. The vines root in clay-limestone soils, particularly suited to right bank grape varieties, as they allow slow, regular, and complete maturation. The harvest is done manually at maturity, following a logic of precise selection and respect for the fruit. The 18-month aging in oak barrels, with about 40% new wood, adds depth, toasted notes, and a silky patina. The result is an ambitious Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux where the fruit’s gourmandise meets elegant aging and a true aging structure.
In the glass, Le Pic du Versant 2022 reveals a deep, dark, and shiny robe with intense ruby reflections. The nose opens on black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum, with nuances of blond tobacco, sweet spices, smoke, and noble wood. The palate is ample, velvety, and generous, carried by perfectly integrated ripe fruit within the tannic framework. The tannins are supple, polished, and enveloping, giving the wine a very comfortable texture without losing its seriousness. The finish prolongs the black fruits, spices, cocoa, and a limestone sensation that brings freshness to the whole. This 2022 can be enjoyed young after a good aeration, but it also has enough depth to evolve for several years in the cellar. It will ideally accompany a rib steak, duck breast, roast lamb, veal chop with chanterelles, duck confit, a stew, or an aged cheese.
Grape varieties: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
