Château Kirwan is an estate located in Cantenac, not far from the city of Bordeaux and the river Garonne, in a terroir where man and nature have been living together harmoniously for hundreds of years.
The Château, built in 1751, was one of the few Medoc properties that Thomas Jefferson, the future third President of the United States, visited on his Bordeaux wine tasting trip in France and mentioned in his diaries written in 1780. Mark Kirwan passed away in 1815 and over the centuries it passed from hand to hand through several owners, until, during the early years of the twentieth century, it was acquired by a family of “negociant”, the Schyler and Schroder, which moved to Bordeaux in 1738 and still in business today.
With 40 hectares divided into 46 parcels that wind within the territory of the AOC Margaux, it is clear and obvious how the keystone of this Château, over the years, has always been the terroir and its strong identity. Its wines have a characteristic soft, gentle attack, followed by a very Margaux lacework of flavours. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot provide Kirwan’s main wine with a multi-layered structure that is very big, tempered by the roundness of the Merlot and the delicate elegance of the Cabernet Franc.
Like all great vintages, 2015 offers fine balance. The alcohol is imperceptible and perfectly balanced by a refreshing natural acidity. The tannins give the wine a velvety unctuousness. In the end, the wine is wonderfully fruity and refined, with a gourmand, tactile character that far outshines it simple potency. 100% Margaux.
From the 17th century to the present day, ten generations of owners have followed one another and have left their mark on the history of Château Lascombes. A destiny marked by colorful characters who all worked for the excellence of Château Lascombes wines.
An alliance of power and elegance, smoothness and tannic richness, Château Lascombes is a complex wine. Young, its deep robe is still impressive. The palate combines finesse and softness with a grain of very noble tannins. Over the years, you have to rediscover Château Lascombes to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity and see its structure evolve, becoming more and more suave.
At the gates of Pauillac, Château Lynch-Bages now represents a symbolic history of the Medoc. Born in 1691 by the hand of John Lynch, an Irish nobleman in exile, the winery was implemented by John’s son, Thomas Lynch, who managed the company with wisdom and foresight from 1749 to 1824, producing excellent wines initially known as ” Cru de Lynch ”, later classified as Grand Cru at the Paris Exposition of 1855.
Having become the property of the Cazes family in 1939 and led by the outstanding Jean-Michel Cazes since 2007, Château Lynch-Bages’ style has established itself, and this reflects Pauillac’s identity with an extraordinary depth and richness, thanks above all to Jean-Michel Cazes.
Château Ormes de Pez belongs to the Médoc landscape since the 18th century. Located West of Saint-Estèphe and bordering the hamlet of Pez, the estate owes its name to a magnificent grove of elm trees, which no longer exists today. Château Ormes de Pez is the second property – after Château Lynch-Bages – acquired by the Cazes family in 1939.
With distinctive harmonious spicy character, Château Ormes de Pez is true to its terroir. Wine lovers appreciate its opulence, elegance and well-rounded structure. Its powerful, rich and excellent tannic backbone allows graceful ageing.
5th Grand Cru Classé of Pauillac, Château Pontet-Canet has experienced an irresistible rise which has made it one of the most emblematic brands of the Médoc. Led by Justine and Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet has established itself as one of the finest references on the left bank of Bordeaux.
The 2017 vintage was marked by an episode of frost at the end of April, which had little impact on the vineyard due to the protective influence of the Gironde estuary. The growing cycle took place under favorable climatic conditions, including flowering in mid-May and veraison at the beginning of July. Despite some rain during September, the health condition is perfect and the grapes harvested at full maturity are of high quality.
Château Prieuré-Lichine’s history is an amazing mix of different eras and styles. From the Roman origins of the property to its rebirth under the Ballande group, 500 years of historic figures and events at this estate have combined to forge its special spirit, perfectly embodied by the Pope of Wine, Alexis Lichine.
Voluptuous and classic, the Grand Cru Classé of Château Prieuré-Lichine fully expresses the fine characteristics of its terroir with the elegance, subtely and breeding of great Margaux wines.
For more info, visit Château Prieuré-Lichinewebsite.
VARIETALS
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
The Meyre family, Médoc winegrowers for 6 generations, have been able to extend and perpetuate the family business. Julien and Nathalie, now in charge of the properties and drawing on their respective experiences, bring dynamism and renewal.
Château Sorbey in Haut Médoc is the smallest of Mayre’s properties, producing ample and fruity wines with harmonious tannins, everything that makes the reputation of Haut Médoc wines.
VARIETALS
52% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Legend relates that the name of this imposing estate originates with Connétable Talbot, a famous English warrior, defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453. Talbot is one of the Medoc’s oldest estates, its glory never tainted. Through the years, it has been fortunate enough to remain in good hands. The owners are Nancy Bignon-Cordier and her family. They are the fourth generation of Cordiers to manage this Saint-Julien fourth Classified Growth.
For many, Talbot embodies the ideal Saint-Julien, a generous bouquet, extremely stable and dependable during aging, a champion of longevity; even young Talbot is pleasant and rounded, always characterized by silky, mild and very civilized tannins. Talbot possesses an expansive character. It’s never withdrawn into itself and has the courtesy of being in a good mood every day.
Owned by the Bernard family since 1983, the magnificent Domaine de Chevalier is at the top of the greatest Crus Classés of Bordeaux.
The estate is located in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation which is located in a green setting south of Bordeaux.
Domaine de Chevalier watches over a rare vineyard with 60 hectares of red vines. The vineyard is based on a gravel terroir with clay-gravelly subsoils. Since 1986, the young vines have been intended to ripen the berries which are used in the blending of the estate’s second wine, L’Esprit de Chevalier.
As a general winemaking philosophy, Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon’s direction is toward elegance, balance and ageing potential. To express the terroir of Apalta is the mission of Casa Lapostolle, using very natural process with minimal intervention.
“The Cabernet Sauvignon from Colchagua has a true identity: intense red fruit and a structure to age many years. Here in Apalta, the fact that the vines are eighty years old and planted in high density gives the wine an extra layer of complexity”. Jacques Begarie, Chief Winemaker.
Made with Organic Grapes and Biodynamic vineyard management.
The Marnier Lapostolle family, founders and owners of the world-renowned liqueur Grand Marnier, has vineyards in three regions of Chile, the oldest plantings being 1920 in the southern Apalta Vineyard brought from France at the end of the 19th Century.
Their mission is to capture the freshness of young and expressive fruit, bright and alive.
These characteristics define the Lapostolle Grand Selection wines.
This Grand Selection Cabernet Sauvignon has flavors of red fruits, strawberries and blackberries, with a concentrated and round palate.
Valle del Rapel is one of the few places where Carménère grows in ideal conditions. It is located in the central part of Chile and it exhibits a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with warm and dry days and pleasantly cool nights during the growing season, as a result of cold breezes coming from the Andes. Rapel has also a cool influence from the Pacificís Humboldt Current, which lowers temperatures in the coastal areas of the valley. This leads to warm days with ample sunlight and dry conditions, allowing a slow ripening period. Carménère is able to fully ripen but maintain all its fresh notes that are so unique to the variety.
In 2014, Clos Apalta gave birth to its second wine, Le Petit Clos de Clos Apalta, in order to offer a different interpretation of this unique terroir, using the same grapes, but in different proportion, and offering young vines a chance to prove their worth before thay can make it into the Grand Vin.
2018 vintage gave a generous production, healthy, of excellent flavor, with relatively moderate alcohol levels and more freshness.
It will be remembered as one of the greatest cold vintages of the 21st century in Chile.
“Le Petit Clos is a different interpretation of the Clos Apalta Terroir, using the mastery of blending that is the heart of the winemaking philosophy from the Domaines Bournet ”. – Jacques Begarie, Chief Winemaker.
Made with Organic Grapes and Biodynamic vineyard management.
It was in 1981 that the Marquis Lodovico Antinori, cousin of Piero Antinori, founded the Ornellaia Estate, in the heart of the Bolgheri area, a few kilometers from the Mediterranean coast. Thus, with the first harvest of 1985, what would become an icon among the SuperTuscans was born: the “Ornellaia”. With the inauguration of the company, the world-famous enologist, Michel Rolland, begins to deal with the technical part of the cellar. Subsequently, in the 90s the other two labels were born: “Le Volte” and “Le Serre Nuove”.
Made with the same passion and attention to detail as Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is a true “second vin”.
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it combines approachability and a depth of flavour with proven ageing potential.
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