“I inherited Château Cantelaudette in 1984, I was thirty years old and married in the same year. The property was not really a wedding gift: the house and vines had been abandoned and there was no winery. However, my wife, when she saw the old château, thought that it should be our home. Starting from scratch, we refurbished it to our taste, replanted the vines according to expert recommendations, and built an operational winery to produce a wine under the Cantelaudette label. Without my wife, Laurence, I never would have had the courage to undertake this adventure. I make wines for her and which reflect her… refined, elegant, balanced, rounded, and with a certain complexity.” – Jean-Michel Chatelier, owner and manager of Château Cantelaudette.
For more info, visit Château Cantelaudettewebsite.
Located in the southern part of the Bordeaux Medoc peninsula, Château Cantemerle, designated a great growth in the famous 1855 classification, thanks to its unique terroir, produces complex well-balanced and refined wines.
This stunning vintage has been somewhat overshadowed by the quality of the two preceding years, but is now being discovered for its flattering character. With its beautiful deep color and discreet spicy aromas, this wine shows a stunning youth, firmness and complexity.
At the beginning of the 19th century, John-Lewis Brown (1769-1851), bought a vineyard and designed in the village of Cantenac, a traditional Tudor style château, reminding him of his Scottish origins. His name is forever linked to the Grand Cru Classé. After the 1855 Grand Cru Classification, Louis Armand Lalande (1820-1894), Bordeaux winemerchant and owner of several estates in Médoc, extended the building. Surrounded by a remarkable British style park, Château Cantenac Brown is since then among the most original in Médoc and of the wines to watch out for, getting better vintage after vintage.
The 2016 vintage offers a Château Cantenac Brown with intrinsic qualities rarely seen before, although this Margaux has always been in the group of great wines the Margaux. Undoubtedly, a large Margaux!
For more info, visit Château Cantenac Brownwebsite.
Family owned since 1810, the Château Cap Léon Veyrin originates from the meeting of Château Cap Léon and the Veyrin estate. Cape comes from the word “head”. In fact, the vineyards of Cap Léon are located on the highest points of Listrac-Médoc, favoring natural drainage and ideal sunshine. Nathalie and Julien Meyre, are the 6th generation of the family running this property, perpetuate the tradition: predominance of Merlot, collage with egg white, aging of 12 months in barrels, manual harvesting for young parcels and for old vines, while bringing their dynamism to this renowned Cru Bourgeois Supérieur du Médoc.
For more info, visit Château Cap Léon Veyrinwebsite.
VARIETALS
60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
Château Chasse-Spleen is the leading Moulis estate along with Château Poujeaux. Although it is classified only as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc’s more renowned classed growths. There are numerous stories trying to explain the name of Chateau Chasse Spleen. The first version is that the name was inspired from a visit by Lord Byron in 1821, which was so moved, that he quoted, “Quel remede pour chasser le spleen”, which when loosely translated means, “What remedy to remove the spleen?”. The other equally poetic explanation is attributed to the poem Spleen, whose author Charles Baudelaire also visited Château Chasse-Spleen.
A very elegant, fresh and classical wine with a lot of energy and drive on the finish with great aging potential.
For more info, visit Château Chasse-Spleenwebsite.
VARIETALS
50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
Château Corbin is one of the oldest estates in St. Emilion. In fact, it dates back to the 15th century. More recently, bringing Chateau Corbin into the modern era, in 1924, Château Corbin was purchased by the Great Grandparents of the current owners, the Cruse family. The beautiful chateau was constructed in the 1800s. During the late 1990s, Anabelle Cruse and her sisters purchased the shares of Château Corbin from the other family shareholders and took over complete ownership of the estate.
In each and every vintage, the wines of Château Corbin are the fruit of true luxury craftsmanship. Carefully tended vines, a meticulous selection of the grape bunches and slow barrel ageing are prerequisites in the Corbin method to ensure longevity in its wines. Each vintage is a journey of its own, in which the senses travel to and fro between elegance and complexity.
Past Château Lafite, then up the small hill of stones, the locals call “Caux”, to Cos d’Estournel and its discrete neighbour Château Cos Labory.
The name of the estate comes from its geographical location on the Cos hill and the name of François Labory, who was the first owner until 1845. Mr. d’Estournel then acquired it before selling it again to an English banker, Charles Martyns in 1852. The property was finally taken over by George Weber in the 1930’s, who bequeathed it to his daughter and son-in-law, François Audoy in 1959. In 1971, the couple acquired the neighbouring estate, Château Andron Blanquet, until their elder son Bernard took over, now the emblematic symbol of the estate, having always lived in Saint-Estèphe.
Over time, the changes came gradually through substantial investment into technology, particularly an ultra-modern vat house and a new cellar. Having decided to vinify the wines at low temperatures to preserve and extract the fruit, their aim is to offer wines that age well but are also enjoyable when still young. Château Cos Labory combines characteristic Saint-Estèphe vigour and elegance and its rich tannin content gives this wine good ageing potential.
Vignobles Lassagne gather several family properties that were bought since three generations and are grown according to tradition and innovation on unique terroir located in the Libourne area.
Vignobles Lassagne encompasses these three properties: Château des Arnauds (the original estate), Château des Landes and Château Maltus, the latest addition to the Vignobles Lassagne.
The soils and basements of the Château des Arnauds located in Abzac, are composed of gravel that can be red with a caliber between fine pebble and coarse sand. Sometimes the gravel is mixed with the clay, sometimes they follow one another in layers. The pebbles flush with the surface allow the sun to reflect on the grapes, thus allowing excellent ripeness. This vineyard developed by father Daniel Lassagne, is located on a beautiful, south-facing plateau of red gravel around the town of Abzac, and being a 100% Merlot varietal, it prodeuces a wine of beautiful balance of roundness and structure.
Vignobles Lassagne gather several family properties that were bought since three generations and are grown according to tradition and innovation on unique terroir located in the Libourne area.
Vignobles Lassagne encompasses these three properties: Château des Arnauds (the original estate), Château des Landes and Château Maltus, the latest addition to the Vignobles Lassagne.
Château des Landes is a family vineyard created in 1952, on the Lussac Saint Emilion appellation zone.
At the beginning, Paul Lassagne started with only 2 hectares and worked by night at a local roof tile factory, and by day on his little property with vines, land and pasture.
Between Pomerol to the West and Saint-Emilion to the South, the Montagne Saint-Emilion vineyard nestles in the middle of the most prestigious terroirs of Libourne. Among the small character properties found in Montagne, the Château Divine Bêtise invites you to indulge and enjoy the table. To discover now!
It was in 1923, at the Château du Barry , that the history of the Mouty vineyards began.
Donat Mouty , enamored of the culture of Saint-Émilion wines, then set his sights on the vines of Château du Barry.
Here, on this great terroir of character, the vines produce a unique fruit with delicacy.
From this fruit are born silky, fleshy, complex and elegant wines.
Acquired in 1905 by the Gauvin family, this estate is now run by the 4th generation.
This cuvée Laroque offers a good balance with notes of red fruit and tannins already supple on the palate.
VARIETALS
65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Château du Tertre takes its name from the superb group of graves, culminating point of the Margaux appellation, on which is erected the castle. This millennial property of 52 hectares (of which 18 are grown biodynamic) enjoys worldwide renown thanks to the prestigiousGrand Cru Classé de Margaux title it has had since 1855.
The arrival of Eric Albada-Jelgersma, the current owner, in 1997 will profoundly mark the field. A restructuring program and heavy investments have restored its reputation to Château du Tertre. This program has resulted in upgrading technical equipment, reducing yields and setting up a new team. Under the direction of Alexander Van Beek ,Eric Boissenot for winemaking, the vineyard has significantly increased the quality of these wines, giving Château du Tertre its character and nobility, where silky and freshness are combined to bring you the elegance expected of a great Margaux wine.
“Fons Brogiera: a spring surrounded by heather”. This was the first mention of the name Fombrauge which, for 6 centuries now, has epitomised the elegance of the Grand Cru Classé wines of Saint Emilion. From the Canolle family in the 15th century to Bernard Magrez today, six families have succeeded each other in owning and running Château Fombrauge, providing the estate, which harvested its first grapes in 1599, with a rare stability and a pioneering spirit beyond compare.
To ensure the full expression of the estate’s rich terroir, Bernard Magrez, the owner since 1999, today combines ancestral savoir-faire with precision viticulture. The result is a sublime wine, the epitome of a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé.
The flagship of the estate, this wine is simply the expression of the best terroir that Fontesteau can offer.
No vintage is ever the same as another. The magic of blending confers a unique style to each: the Cabernet Sauvignon is always the dominant variety in the Château Fontesteau blend, a deep and elegant wine. Château Fontesteau wines are at their best after 5 to 10 years in the cellar yet never disappoint those patient enough to wait 20 years or even more.
“This 2016 is a vintage characterised by its richness and harmony.” – Dominique Fouin
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