Château Peyre-Lebade

"The beautiful landscape and the unique character of the wine were a source of inspiration for the great painter Odilon Redon”.
Château Peyre-Lebade has a rich history that is graced by several illustrious figures. There are records dating back to the twelfth century of vines being grown on the site by the Cistercian monks at the Abbey of Vertheuil. The great painter Odile Redon lived and painted many of his most famous works at the property, which provide a wonderful reflection of the site's charm. By 1979, the property had fallen into a state of disrepair and was acquired by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who already owned the neighbouring properties of Château Clarke and Château Malmaison, located in Listrac and Moulis, respectively. Chateau Peyre-Lebade is now an integral part of the properties belonging to Edmond's son, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, and Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) handles the marketing of the wines.
The 55 hectare vineyard is planted with Merlot (64%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%) and Cabernet Franc (12%). The soil consists of limestone and well-drained clay-limestone. The property's name almost certainly comes from this limestone-rich geology. Peyre-Lebade means "pierre levée" or "raised stone", and there is an old limestone quarry on the site that probably served to provide limestone for the construction of the neighbouring villages.

Presentation
Château Peyre-Lebade wines feature the fruity and fleshy characteristics specific to the Haut-Médoc appellation. They are nonetheless distinguished by the high Merlot content, which makes them particularly supple


The vintage
The winter was mild and wet with record rainfall in January and February. Temperatures remained moderate (8°C above average over both months). A rather dry spring encouraged a generally early bud break; May was then stormy, but fortunately this did not have a significant effect on the harvest.
During the summer, July corresponded perfectly to the ten-year averages, but August proved to be substantially cooler, with some very cold nights at the beginning of the month (a record temperature of 6°C occurring between 21 and 22), and wetter (66 mm), but the rain was concentrated over two days at the beginning of the month. In the vineyard, the risk of mildew remained high and required careful monitoring.
Fortunately, an Indian summer in September and October (dry and warm, resulting in an excellent natural concentration of the grapes) enabled us to harvest in beautiful weather and to wait for the grapes to become perfectly ripe. A key feature of the vintage was this exceptionally dry spell from late August until early October (with only 7mm of rain, September 2014 was the driest ever recorded at Château Peyre-Lebade).
Varietals
Merlot : 85%
Cabernet sauvignon : 15%

Tasting
Colour: Beautiful intense crimson colour, tinged with dark purple.
Nose: Ripe red fruit (cherries, blackcurrants, plums) with notes of cinnamon, vanilla and liquorice.
Palate: Smooth attack; a full-bodied, flavourful wine with dense tannins and long, lingering fruit on the finish.
The wine can be enjoyed now but will also benefit from a few more years in the cellar in good storage conditions. It has a capacity to age for about 10 years after bottling.