Château Cissac

Château Cissac belongs to the Vialard family, and its reputation was built on the tireless work of Louis Vialard, who established the wine’s fame through the 1970s and 1980s. Situated in the northern-most Haut-Médoc appellation, this historic château dates from 1769. The soil in the vineyards is less diverse than in the Médoc, predominantly sandy, with gravel

Vibrant and fresh black fruits with a lovely blueberry fruit freshness on the nose, leads to a palate that is compact with concentrated cassis fruit flavours. There is a lick of cedar oak and the tannins are suave and silky, so much more approachable compared to the more rustic character that this château was renowned for years ago. This is an excellent, value for money claret that will delight the traditional claret drinker. The harvest began on 15 September in very good weather conditions, and the rain between the Merlots and the Cabernets helped keep the berries fresh. We carried out a large selection at the entrance of the harvest, then reduced the pre-fermentation macerations because the temperatures were very high and the extraction of anthocyanins was very easy. All manipulations were carried out within a very short time frame in order to preserve the fruit. The Merlots are delicious, the Cabernets are more mature, with present tannin but without harshness, and above all an acidity which gives freshness to this balance. The Petits Verdots are structured with elegant tannins, mixing spices and black fruits. Malbec, in a very limited proportion, brings liveliness and complexity to our blend. Laurent Saint Pasteur, technical director, Château Cissac

Delicious with rare roast beef with seasonal vegetables and yorkshire pudding.

Harvest dates: 15th September - 11th October. A yield of 32hl/ha. Fermentation takes place in large wooden vats and stainless steel tanks, and the wine is then aged in 225-litre oak barrels for 12-14 months, 20% of which are new. Alc 13.2%