Characteristics about Saint-Julien appellation

Date:   September 29, 2010

Cabernet-Sauvignon is for more than 200 years the primary red wine grape of most of the top vineyards in Bordeaux’s   Medoc and  Pessac-Leognan Graves districts, which are the best growing sites for producing quality wines from Cabernet-Sauvignon. They provide a moderately warm, semi-arid climate providing a long growing season, on well-drained, not-too-fertile soils. Cabernet-Sauvignon berries are small, spherical with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little damage. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually a mid to late season ripener. In Bordeaux.  Cabernet-Sauvignon is most often blended with one or more of the following varietals:  Merlot,  Cabernet Franc or  Petit Verdot. The acids and tannins found in a Cabernet Sauvignon wine help form the basis for its structure and longevity. The flavour, structure, complexity, and longevity of wines made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape are what makes it so popular. Its  fruity flavours have been described as blackcurrants, raspberry, violet, pepper and  cedar  when it is young, and evolve to leather, cigar box, mushroom, cinnamon and animal scents when the wine reaches its maturity. With its legendary smoothness and elegance, the Cabernet-Sauvignon has conquered the world. It is now cultivated successfully in Spain, Italy, California, Latin America or Australia.

Cabernet-Franc varietal is one of the essential red wines grape of Bordeaux where it is often blended with  Merlot and  Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is planted in the cooler, more or less humid climates and on sandy and argillaceous soils, Cabernet-Franc’s grapes are thinner-skinned, earlier ripening with lower overall  acidity than Cabernet-Sauvignon. Although quite similar in structure and to Cabernet-Sauvignon, cabernet franc is not quite as  full-bodied and has fewer tannins and less acid. Cabernet Franc is, however, more aromatic and herbaceous. The flavour profile of Cabernet-Franc may be primarily red fruits: strawberry, raspberry, cherry and plum. Cabernet-Franc is also grown in other regions such as the Loire valley in the Chinon, Saumur-Champigny and Bourgueil districts.

Merlot is the primary red grape in  Saint Emilion and  Pomerol, and one of two primaries, the other being  Cabernet Sauvignon, of   Medoc. Merlot is particularly well adapted for sandy and clay-based soils.  Merlot is characterized by the roundness and suppleness that it confers to the wines. The berry of Merlot is relatively thin-skinned and somewhat prone to rot. Since Merlot both buds and flowers early, wine growers’ main worry is the varietal’s susceptibility to shatter or coulure, brought about by frost, rain, or early heat waves in the Spring. But on the positive, because Merlot ripens earlier than either Cabernet-Sauvignon variety, it is highly appreciated when rains are a concern at harvest. Merlot softens some of the hard aspects of Cabernet and provides roundness and silky texture to the wines. While its flavour profile is similar to Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot tends to be less distinctive and slightly more herbaceous overall in both aroma and taste. Mint, plum, currant and black cherry aromas mainly characterize it. Delicate tannins also mark merlot wines. These flavours usually evolve to leather, humus and roasted notes as wines age. Merlot is grown with much success in many hot areas all over the World (Southern of France, Italy, California, Australia, Latin America).

Petit Verdot, translated by “Little green” in French, this late red type of vine does not always reach its full maturity under the tempered climate of Bordeaux. Therefore, Petit-Verdot doesn’t represent more than 2%-3% of the vineyard’s total surface at Bordeaux. It is traditionally been used to add flavour, colour, and tannins to the Bordeaux blend. Indeed, Petit-Verdot produces  full-bodied, extremely  deep-colored wines with peppery flavour characteristics, and high tannins/acidity. Petit Verdot is particularly well appreciated by growers for rebalancing  blendings presenting some  alcoholic excess. Small amounts of Petit Verdot are also planted in Chile and California.

Source:          http://www.winemega.com/region_saint_julien.htm

The wine shop in Manila Angeles Philippines Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga as well as other wine shops, wine bars and wine outlets in Subic and Manila are wells stocked with interesting selections of wine from Medoc, Bordeaux, France.   Major Chateaux of Medoc, Bordeaux, France are well represented with many vintages spanning over 20 years from various producers.  Medoc wines of a wide range of prices are offered in the wine shops in Manila, Angeles City, Subic and Clark Philippines

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Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices.  Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world.  As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years.  Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

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Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

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Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,

Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

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Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.