History
Christine Schlumberger’s sister, Laure, has been the first woman of the family to marry a catholic. Her devotion to several charitees organizations has remain in the memories. The Late Harvest (Vendanges Tardives-Appellation since 1984) are wines harvested in overmaturity, several weeks after the harvest. Contrary to certain types of sweet wines, they maintain a freshness and natural acidity with a flavor that is unique in the world.
Location
Coming from the subtle blend of Grands Crus Kessler, Spiegel and Kitterlé, this very rare Cuvée is born from our steep slopes with sandstone and volcanic soils, oriented east and south east.
Wine-making
The vines were carefully tended from their winter pruning until the harvest. Harvested manually from our steep vineyards, the grapes are then transported in small crates (to prevent the berries from getting crushed) to our winery where they are then slowly pressed. After racking for about 3 days, the perfectly clear juices are put to ferment in tuns where the temperature is strictly controlled. Fermentations last from 1 to 3 months until spring. The wines are then stabilised, filtered and then bottled. The bottles are stored, labelled and shipped all over the world.
Gastronomy
It can be associated with a Spanish blue-veined cheese such as The Cabrales (Asturias) or at the end of the meal, with a Manala, a king cake with almond mixture and Mirabelle plums or French toasts with candied quince.
Learn more about food & wine pairingTasting
The robe is golden yellow and intense with light reflections of good intensity. The disk is bright, limpid and transparent. The wine shows concentration and youth.
The nose is marked, pleasant, of good intensity. Complex, we perceive a dominant of candied and overripe scents : yellow fruits (Mirabelle plum), fresh mushrooms as well as a hint of brioche, viennoiserie. The airing is still reserved but reveals orange blossom, apricot jelly, peach skin and orgeat. The perfect over-ripening gives to this fragrance profile all the complexity of this beautiful grape variety. Still a bit retained, it needs time to express itself.
The onset in the mouth is ample, powerful and liquorish. It shows a beautiful silky touch. The alcohol support is full-bodied. The wine evolves on a medium with a frank liveliness, marked by a sparking note. We find the same aromas as on the nose, dominated by yellow fruits (quince, apricot, peach skin, Mirabelle plum), fresh mushrooms, orgeat and still this underlying note of butter, brioche. The finish has a good length, 6-7 caudalies, and a fine liveliness. The balance of this wine is built on admirable liquor. Despite the phase of juvenile austerity, the purity of the botrytis will make it a great sweet wine.
Technical sheet by M.Pascal Leonetti
“Best Sommelier of FRance 2006”
