Chateau Seraphine, Pomerol 2020 3.0l Chateau Seraphine, Pomerol 2020 3.0l

At just 2.2 hectares, Château Séraphine is small, even by Pomerol standards, where the average property is around six hectares. Martin Krajewski’s Pomerol adventure, perhaps the inevitable follow-up to his St Emilion incursion at Clos Cantenac, began in 2017 when he bought a couple of plots of land, one on the northern edge of the appellation and the other southwest of the village of Pomerol itself, where the new cellars and château are located. The wines here and at Clos Cantenac are made by Charlotte Krajewski, Martin’s daughter, who honed her skills in South Africa and New Zealand before settling into the Right Bank, bringing a wealth of knowledge to bear in these very traditional sites. Chateau Séraphine’s winemaking philosophy is to guide the wines and not manipulate them in any way. The intention behind their ‘handsoff’ approach in the winery is to allow the wines to become what they want to become that shows a real vintage variation along with a sense of terroir. All winemaking processes and techniques are done in a non-intrusive manner. The fruit, which is handpicked into small baskets, is whole-bunch sorted then de-stemmed onto a manual berry-sorting table. No pumps are used during fermentation, just 100% gravity. Classic fermentation methods with only moderate extraction are needed to get the finest tannins and texture. An extended maceration typically follows. Winemaker Charlotte Krajewski also prefers to work with the ‘barrel integrale’ method, again working by gravity and then all the malolactic fermentation is completed in 300L barrels. She believes that the integration of the wood is much better for the style and objective that they seek in terms of finesse and elegance. The racking of barrels is only done when necessary. The real work Chateau Séraphine maintains is, of course, done in the vineyard where they have practices in place that aim for the highest quality fruit possible. The gentle winemaking steps that follow are intended to preserve the integrity of the fruit and encourage the finest expression of Chateau Séraphine’s Pomerol estate. Château Séraphine: The aim for Chateau Séraphine is to produce a wine of great complexity, depth and long ageing potential that also shows of ‘a sense of place,’ and that place is Pomerol. 100% Merlot. Dark red, almost black in color showing great elegance and finesse with aromas of fresh blackberries overlaid with subtle notes of wild strawberries, cherries and cassis with just a touch of white pepper spice. The velvety soft palate, displays rich and silky tannins that are well supported by a further impressive register of red and black fruits running through the core while delicate hints of chocolate and mocha notes intermingle well to present a long, pleasant and persistent finish. L’Innocence: For L’innocence, the objective is to highlight the personality, character and terroir of Pomerol. This wine welcomes earlier inspection and points to the style and full potential of the Grand Vin, Chateau Séraphine. 100% Merlot. This elegant wine is deep red-black in color right to the rim with savory marmite aromas complemented by a lush and lovely nose of violet-infused fruit. A supple medium-bodied palate is driven by ripe, spiced black fruits. A refreshing line of tart cranberry and subtle cinnamon spice underpin the black fruits and it all comes together in a long, rich finish.