VIN DE BORDEAUX. 8r 



ing memy hundreds of gallons, where the wine begins to 

 ferment in a few hours — about eight or ten ; those grapes 

 which have not been crushed burst of themselves, the 

 juice falls to the bottom, and the skins and seed-pips 

 and pieces of stalk float on the top. The vat is con- 

 tinually filled up till it will hold no more. The mass of 

 skins and stalks soon becomes solid and forms a sort of 

 handcake of considerable thickness on the top, and thus 

 partly preserves the wine. The fermentation is allowed 

 to go on unchecked, but is carefully watched until the 

 spring, when all fermentation is exhausted. The wine 

 is then drawn off from the bottom of the vat and put 

 into smaller vessels, conveniently placed for closer ex- 

 amination. Whilst fermenting the casks are continually 

 filled up, until about a year is passed, when they are 

 racked off and are left for another year. 



The liquor is then fit for shipment, but the higher 

 class wines are kept for another year, and the premiers 

 cms, of which there are only four, namely, *' Lafitte," 

 " Latour," " Chateaux Margaux," and " Haut Brion," 

 generally for four years before their final bottling. 

 Amongst the seconds cms are " Mouton Rothschild,'' 

 ''*■ La Rose," " Cos Destournel," " Leoville," " Chateaux 

 Palmer," and many others ; and in the trots ianes cms 

 are " La Grange," "Ducru Baucailleux " ; quatriemcs cms, 

 *'St. Julien," "St. Estephe," "Mouton D'Armaillac" ; 

 while in the cinquihnes cms, or fifth growth, " Pontet 

 Canet " heads the list, with at least twelve or fifteen 

 more ; and all below these are unclassed wines, m.any 

 however of excellent quality in certain seasons. 



Old Mr. Johnstone told me that they have annually a 



G 



