Wine Words & Video Tape

Wine, Words and Videotape

Fine Wine Review site

Château Dassault

Address: 33330 St Emilion

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 55 10 00

E-mail: lbv@chateaudassault.com

Website: www.chateaudassault.com

Vineyard/Terroir: Château Dassault has a 24 hectare vineyard on siliceous glacis with siliceous limestone subsoil planted with 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaking/Elevage: 75-100% new oak each vintage.

Tasting notes:

  • 2015 Deep and saturated look; ripe; masses of black fruits; plums; sweet fruit; nice entry on the palate; nicely handled; purity; not over-extracted; well done and not over worked. Much better extraction and balance than some vintages here for me. [75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Drink 2020-2030 90-91+
  • 2014 Deep and saturated look; ripe creamy black fruits; toasty oak; ripe and pretty fruit; extracted in the middle; disjointed; needs to meld; little dry on the finish; extract and chew dominate at present. [75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Drink 2020-2028. 5. Tasted UGC 1st April ’15. 85-87
  • 2013 Deep and saturated look; fat and thick, with smoky notes and chocolate; quite chunky palate, rather chewy; will probably settle but will remain chunky and a bit foursquare I reckon. [75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted April 2, 2014 UGC. Drink 2016-2013. 83-85
  • 2012 Deep and saturated; very ripe Merlot on the nose; quite fat; clean; round and ripe entry; not overdone; good and ripe; some oak but not disjointed. Pretty good. Goodish length. 87-88 UGC Wednesday April 10, 2013
  • 2011 Thick and black looking in glass; very figgy note, tar and liquorice; feels like it will tire; sweet palate, ripe and thick with more figgy notes. Lots of fruit and sweet oak and pretty extracted. Bit OTT for me. Tasted at UGC 4/4/12. 86-87
  • 2010 Deep and saturated looking; thick ripe fruit tones; sturdy aromatics; thick; black fruits; some spice; palate is thick, ripe and saturated; tannin a little chewy and finishes rather dry. Over extracted? Drink 2017-2025. 88? MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Thick and saturated; ripe, feels dull and a bit tired; some rasiny notes? Palate thick but pretty stewed feel here; thick and chunky. Not me. 84-86?/100 6th April 2011
  • 2009 Deep and saturated; figgy, saturated style; thick and saturated; not too tannic but has chew and sap [might be a little oak resin]. Actually quite tannic on the finish. Drink now – 2025. 87 MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier note] Mid depth, not the deepest by far; soft, fruit driven nose; some red fruits; fresher style; attractive; definite whiff of strawberry; soft entry, sweet and lots of fruit and nice extraction here; Tannic edge but should settle. [Later] Ripe and figgy; supple palate, tannins there, less fruit than earlier. 88-90?/100 Primeurs April ’10.
  • 2007 Deep and dense; lifted and leafy and far more appetizing; earth and tobacco notes; not unattractive with a meaty edge; some herbaceousness here but not off putting, quite the opposite; red fruits on the palate along with the leaf; firm and rather dry tannins but not that bad an effort. 86+/100 MW Institute Nov ‘11

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