Château Paradis Casseuil Sélection Spéciale

2018 will no doubt be one of Bordeaux’s great vintages, despite some particularly capricious weather: an exceptionally rainy winter and spring resulted in an unprecedented threat of mildew, the like of which had not been seen in living memory; May and July then brought devastating hailstorms that destroyed up to 80% of some vineyards. Fortunately, the situation improved dramatically over the summer, which was the hottest since 2003. Conditions were ideal for the grapes to ripen: the contrast between warm, sunny days and cool nights resulted in good aromatic concentration and an excellent balance of sugar and acidity. The wines from the cool clay soils of the Entre-Deux-Mers are generous, deep in colour, with more alcohol than in 2017 but retaining their freshness.