1997 Gracia

Michel Gracia purchased another parcel of vines next to his original holding in the St. Christophe des Bardes section of St. Emilion in time to increase production of his micro-cuvee in 1998, but told me the yield was barely 22 hectoliters per hectare (compared to 20 in 1997, when he made just 12 barrels). Gracia, whose tiny winery is in the center of St. Emilion, just around the corner from Jean-Luc Thunevin and Valandraud, did six days of cold maceration in '98; beginning with the '99 vintage, he will ferment the wine in small wood cuves (previously he used temperature-controlled cement tanks). Virtually everything here is done by hand. I tasted the various components of the '98, as well as an approximation of the final blend. The '97 here was a worthy first effort, but the '98 is at a higher level of quality.