Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
first press by Jiles Halling AS you drive toward the ham- let of Genissac, just south of Libourne, you probably don't even notice the road gradually rising until you arrive at the top of the slope and turn into the tree-lined drive that leads to Château Peyfaures, just 70 meters (230 feet) above sea level. The shade of the trees and the slight breeze that rustles the vines in front of the château provide a welcome haven as the sun beats down and the ther - mometer nudges 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Only 70 meters—not much of a rise, but it was enough to protect the château's 15 hectares of vineyards from damage by the severe frost that hit most of the lower- lying and more frost-prone estates in April. A stroke of luck? Perhaps, but 2017 looks like a landmark year for Château Peyfaures, and luck has very little to do with it. It's PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAPICHE A panoramic view of Château Peyfaures. Complexity is added through aging in barrels from various cooperages. 6 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER