The wine is matured for 10 to 20 months.

It is tasted regularly to follow its development.

As the wine matures, it becomes clearer, its colour stabilizes and its different characteristics start to develop.

During the long, slow, complex biochemical processes that take place in the barrel or in the maturing vat, the wine begins to express the potential that will take full shape later on in the bottle.

Traditionally in Saint-Emilion, wines that are to be laid down (kept in the bottle for many years before drinking) are matured in oak barrels of 225 litres for 10 to 20 months, on average. The oak barrels let the wine “breathe”, controlling the exchanges between the wine and the surrounding air and imparting aromas of wood to the wine.

Most châteaux have a favourite barrel supplier or cooper (barrel maker), as each one has his own know-how and specificities, which help the wine express the best features of its character and its terroir.

In Saint-Emilion, some maturing cellars are underground, in some cases carved out of the limestone rock.