Chateau de Sales Pomerol 1986

Chateau de Sales Pomerol 1986, the first wine of the estate, embodies the complexity and refinement of its terroir. A wine to be aged, it is made from rigorously selected grapes with a majority of Merlot. Chateau de Sales is matured for 12 months in oak barrels, 15-20% of which are renewed each year. The wines are bottled at the Château about 18 months after the harvest.

Chateau de Sales is the largest estate in the Pomerol appellation and has been owned by the same family for more than five hundred years. Located 35 km east of Bordeaux, the vineyard of Château de Sales is situated in the northwestern part of the Pomerol appellation. The soils of Château de Sales are comprised of fine gravel and sand, with clay in some areas and an omnipresence of iron oxide, known locally as “crasse de fer”.

The vineyard of Château de Sales has a surface area of over 200 acres, with vines covering 116 acres. The vines are an average of more than 30 years old. The grape varieties planted here are typical of this appellation: 71.5% Merlot, 13.5% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The soils of Château de Sales are comprised of fine gravel and sand, with clay in some areas and an omnipresence of iron oxide. Traditional growing methods are applied, as well as supervised control in order to reduce vine treatments (gender confusion, for instance, to avoid using insecticides) and ensure a harvest of healthy, ripe grapes.

After de-stemming and crushing, alcoholic fermentation takes place in concrete tanks equipped with temperature regulation. The wine is then aged for 12-18 months in French oak barrels, of which only one third are new, in order to avoid any aggressive wood flavors and to preserve the brightness of the fruit.