2018 Chateau Dauzac ‘Aurore’ Bordeaux

JS92 Blackberry, blackcurrant, and dark-chocolate aromas follow through to a medium to full body, with firm, velvety tannins and a savory finish. Needs two or three years to soften…”
DEC92 Enjoyable, well-brushed tannins. There is clear power here, real tension through the palate and lovely deep black pepper spice. Impressive and ready to approach within the next few years.
Estate Notes: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot. Gravity-flow cellar to supply fermenting room; vinified in temperature controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. Cold pre-fermentation maceration, wooden vats with a transparent dual stave for controlling fermentation. Aged 12 months in barrels with racking. Fine and sandy gravelly hilltops, organic fertilizer, average vine age of 35-40 year old.

100% Vegan from Bordeaux – quite unusual!

Not a blend of wine that does not make the cut for the main wine Ch. Dauzac but a dedicated single vineyard .

Winemaker is renowned Eric Boissenot (consultant enologist for estates such as Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild, Palmer, Pichon Comtesse, Pichon Baron, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Barton, Brane Cantenac, Léoville La Cazes, Gruaud-Larose. and many more…)

Petrus d’Auzac was given a piece of land that would later become Dauzac by Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199), King of England. Vineyards seemed to have been planted during the 16th century by Benedectine monks. During the 17th century, Dauzac was known as “one of the prettiest and largest estate in the Médoc.” The Lynch family owned the estate during 95 years. Thomas-Michel Lynch and his brother Michel (also owner of Lynch Bages) started to manage it in 1741. Later on, Jean-Baptiste Lynch took it over and finished his days at Dauzac in 1836. This famous Irish family helped Dauzac to shine in Europe. Nathaniel Johnston & his son (owners of Ducru-Beaucaillou and part owners of Latour) owned Dauzac for 76 years and brought it to another level in terms of size (120 hectares), quality, aura and innovation. It became the center of the wine world as the Dauzac team discovered how to fight Mildew and Oidium. In 1939, new owner M. Bernat, also producer of artificial ice invented wine thermo-regulation at Dauzac. The estate later belonged to the Miailhe family, MAIF and in 2020 by the Roulleau family. Dauzac has become the first vegan certified classified growth.

Aurore de Dauzac is a single vineyard located on the far eastern side of the Dauzac estate, where the sun rises. In 1670, this plot had already been described as the “rising sun vines” (Aurore means dawn in French) and today it produces a fresh wine with intense fruitiness.