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BORDEAUX<br />
– GRAPES –<br />
The Dulon family has been growing grapes since 1737<br />
decades, the fruit was picked too early, for fear of rain, and then<br />
had to be chaptalised! So fashions are changing.<br />
Médeville feels that the wines tend to be more balanced<br />
nowadays. “Merlot is still very good”. And, as he points out<br />
impishly, with the Trump tax on French wines below 14%<br />
(temporarily suspended, but who knows what the Biden<br />
administration will ultimately decide to do?), try and get every<br />
tank of Cabernet-Sauvignon to come in at over 14%! Merlot<br />
came in very handy. Médeville does not anticipate the demise<br />
of Merlot, and even knows of some estates still putting it in<br />
the ground.<br />
VIGNOBLES DULON: MERLOT STILL THE MAJORITY<br />
GRAPE, BUT SET TO DECLINE<br />
The Dulon family, whose roots are in Soulignac in the Entre-<br />
Deux-Mers region, has been farming vineyards since 1737.<br />
Château Grandjean has one hundred hectares under vine,<br />
divided between approximately 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet-<br />
Sauvignon or other grape varieties. The wines are labelled<br />
Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur. The family owns another<br />
fifty or so hectares split between Château Julian and Château<br />
SPRING 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 45
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