Chateau Olivier 2012, Pessac-Leognan (1x75cl)

Chteau Olivier is a Bordeaux estate in Pessac-Lognan ranked as a Grand Cru Class for its red and white wines in the 1953 and 1959 official classifications.The vineyard is sited on gravel soils over clay and limestone and extends to 55 hectares (136 acres), with recent geological surveys leading to additional plantings. There are 10ha (25 acres) of white grapes, made up of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and a small amount of Muscadelle, and 45ha (111 acres) of red grape varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.Chteau Olivier’s white wine is fermented in barrels, one-third of which are new, and spends 12 months aging on its lees. The red wine is fermented in small stainless steel vats, fined and filtered, then aged in barrel (again one-third new oak) for one year. Chteau Olivier also makes a second red wine, La Seigneurerie d’Olivier, and a red and white wine under the Le Dauphin d’Olivier label.The property itself dates back to the Middle Ages when it was inhabited by the d’Olivey family and used as a feudal estate and hunting base. The actual chteau building is today classified as a monument classique. The wine estate has remained in the ownership of the Bethmann family since the 19th Century.