Franc de Pied

At its best between 5 and 20 years of age, can keep up to 40-50 years.

The 2022 vintage will be remembered by all. The particularly mild winter led to a very early budburst. Frosts were avoided during the cool nights of April. Once again, the Gironde estuary served as a protector for Château Dauzac’s vineyard. Flowering began around May 15th in ideal weather conditions, but the end of flowering was marked by violent storms. Fortunately, the vineyard was spared from hail. This last rainy episode then gave way to a very hot and dry summer. The drought was the most concerning element of this vintage. Herbal teas applied regularly to the vines helped them to strengthen their resistance and cope with this climate. August only rain helped the vines to complete their veraison. The harvest took place under exceptional weather conditions from September 5th to 26th. The overall yield was small due to the lack of water but the remarkable quality will make the 2022 vintage one of the greatest ever known in Bordeaux.

At its best between 5 and 20 years of age, can keep up to 40-50 years

One vintage follows another but no two are alike. The 2021 vintage called for a lot of patience and commitment. We worked relentlessly to protect our vines from disease pressure. The vintage began by an especially mild and rainy winter. Bud break was uniform and occurred early but the extra-cold and rainy spring meant that the head start was soon lost. During the spell of frost in April, Château Dauzac’s vineyards were protected due to their proximity to the Gironde estuary, which acts as a natural thermal regulator. Flowering began around May 25th in ideally warm and dry weather. June was especially rainy, with approximately 127% more rain than average. At times, the rain had an impact on flowering, with traces of coulure (also known as shatter) and millerandage. The cold and damp summer called for watchfulness at all times. Mildew pressure increased and was more intense. Preventing the mildew from developing turned out to be one of the summer’s main goals. Veraison was delayed due to the 20% lack of sunshine, while temperatures remained cool and below average. Uniform veraison was only reached between August 15th and 20th. Harvesting began on September 22nd in our earliest-ripening Merlot plots and ended October 13th with our grand Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which managed to take advantage of the sunny days after the rainy spell in early October. Plot-by-plot selection and meticulous sorting of the grapes harvested allowed for high-quality winemaking.