ODYSSEE 2018

Odyssée, a wine launched in 2015 by Pierre Graffeuille, general manager of Château Léoville Las Cases, and his friend from the Rhône, Matthieu Dumarcher, is now in its fourth vintage. They decided to create a new style of "Hermitage blend". The other significant difference between Odyssée and its historical inspiration is that this wine is not a Bordeaux base with just a touch of Rhône. They envisage a 60/40 blend. As for the origins of the grapes, they come from old vines, north of Saint-Estèphe for the Bordeaux part and from a high altitude vineyard, about 30 to 40 kilometres north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for the Rhône part. The vines are about 60 to 70 years old and the farming is 100% organic. This oenological odyssey starts in the respective regions, then the blending is done in the Rhône. The Odyssey has a deep garnet colour, bursting from the glass with a range of exotic spice notes - caraway seed, star anise, cardamom and blackcurrant - over a core of black plum compote and blackberry jam, with hints of dark chocolate, lavender and tapenade. The full-bodied palate is full of concentrated black fruit, framed by firm, round tannins and a lovely freshness, finishing very long on a peppery note. It is a little more structured than previous vintages and just as impressively concentrated!
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