Demanding and passionate, Alain Bessette gave his father’s property the means to produce quality wines. Accessible and worn on the fruit, they tell the revolution undertaken in the vineyard and the cellar.
The white grape varieties of Château La Verriere Sauvignon Blanc are harvested very early in the morning at temperatures allowing the grapes to be vatted to follow a skin maceration of 12 to 18 hours. This maceration will allow an optimum aromatic expression and a balance in the mouth which will guarantee this wine finesse and power over time.
Since 2012, Château La Verriere has embarked on an environmental approach by integrating the certification scope of the SME (Environmental Management System) and HVE (Exploitation of High Environmental Value).
Demanding and passionate, Alain Bessette gave his father’s property the means to produce quality wines. Accessible and worn on the fruit, they tell the revolution undertaken in the vineyard and the cellar.
A good control of the vegetation and a rigorous follow-up of the maturity allows to obtain healthy and ripe grapes, of a great richness, while a careful aging for 18 months in barrels and vats allows this wine to express power and elegance.
Since 2012, Château La Verriere has embarked on an environmental approach by integrating the certification scope of the SME (Environmental Management System) and HVE (Exploitation of High Environmental Value).
Thanks to the long involvement of generations of the Kressmann family, and the recognition shown in 1953 by the classification of Graves, the wines of Château LaTour-Martillac feature among the best of Pessac-Léognan. The expansion of the range was drawn up by Tristan and Loïc Kressmann. The second wines appeared at the end of the 1980’s under the label Lagrave-Martillac, followed by the Château Langlet, a magnificent property in the Graves appellation, acquired in 1999.
A particularly wet winter preceded a spring punctuated by episodes of frost and then strong mildew pressure that impacted the vineyard. This 2021 Château Latour-Martillac is the second vintage vinified in the property’s new winery and the first vintage drived by Edouard Kressmann.
Wines have been made at Château Macquin since 1885, when the first cellar was developed by François-Albert Macquin. François was the first to re-plant vines in the Saint-Émilion region following the phylloxera outbreak in the 19th century.
Château Macquin is located just three kilometres north of Saint- Émilion, in the small village of Saint-Georges, the smallest of all Bordeaux appellations. However, at its peak of 89 metres above sea level, Saint-Georges enjoys one of the best elevations on the right bank, giving the wines freshness and concentration.
The south facing vines are planted on clay and limestone soils and range from 15 to 60 years old. The vines are sustainably farmed, without the use of herbicides, fertilizers, or other harmful chemicals.
VARIETALS
80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Castel Estates and Vineyards offer a range of unique estate wines, finding some true gems by following the advice of the people who know and love the place best. In Bordeaux, at the gateway to Entre-Deux-Mers, they selected Château Malbec which also houses an education center dedicated to wine and the art of wine tasting. Contrary to appearances, Château Malbec is not named after the famous grape variety, but for one of its former owners, Louis Malbec.
A well regarded 28ha property on the borders of St Georges-St Emilion owned by the Amart family since 1949, which it is looking out over her neighbours like Cheval Blanc, Vieux Chateau Certan and Chateau Petrus who are just over the Barbanne stream. Tasted against far greater names this is a exceptional value, very elegant, with a lovely weight of fruit. It will not disappoint.
There are certain places where history says far more than words can express. With its moats, its last architectural remains of a bygone century, and its mullion windows, the estate is a real medieval castle. Located just 11km from Bordeaux, Château Olivier has seen generations come and go, new ambitions emerge and innovative projects grow and develop, and has plenty of other legends to share with you.
Château Olivier is one of the oldest wine chateaux in the Bordeaux region. The Olivier seigneury dates back to the 12th century, and the origins of this authentic and enchanting château, located just ouside the gates of Bordeaux city, can be traced back to this period. This classified growth is reputed for wines of outstanding quality, in which elegance, balance and finesse, the hallmark characteristics of the greatest Bordeaux wines, come to the fore in every vintage.
Near Bordeaux, discover the 7 centuries of history of a mythical Grand Cru Classé of the Graves surrounded by vines and a sumptuous garden. The unique castle, whose first grape harvest took place in 1252, gives life to a wine that was reserved for ecclesiastical ceremonies for almost 400 years, and wasn’t available publicly until after the French Revolution. Bernard Magrez acquires the prestigious estatein the 1980s. It was then his very first vineyard.
The winemaking here epitomises the phrase ‘attention to detail’. Every bunch of grapes is de-stemmed by hand and chemical fertilizing and aeration rejected in favour of horse-drawn ploughing. All this has resulted in an extremely strong brand identity. Pape Clement is known as one of the jewels of Bordeaux and though its appellation, Pessac-Leognan, was overlooked in the 1855 Classification, exchange platform Liv-ex has marked it as a probable Second-Growth estate in its reimagining of that classification.
Certified sustainableHVE (High Environmental Value) and TERRA VITIS.
The property owes its name to the illustrious owner who lived there in the 19th century. Mr. Emilien Piganeau taught plastic arts at the Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux, and was a municipal councilor in St-Emilion for 3 terms. Coming from a family of Bordeaux bankers, he was passionate about drawing, painting, but also archaeology, history and poetry. The property was acquired by the Bruno family in 1978.
The vineyard is located in the Pierrefitte menhir area, near the Dordogne River and the old port of Saint-Emilion.
Sustainable agriculture, HVE (High Environmental Value) Certification. Stop using herbicides since 2018.
Classified as Cru Bourgeois since 1932 and in a constant quest for excellence, Château Plagnac combines respect for the terroir, tradition and cutting-edge innovation. The three towers of Plagnac, traces of the past of this site, guard the entrance to the prestigious building and give this place nobility and character.
Château Plagnac perfectly embodies the Médoc with the power, vigorous tannins and finesse of its clay-limestone terroir.
The Château Pontet-Fumet is located near the village of Vignonet in the well-known wine-growing region of Saint-Émillion.
It is one of the outstanding Grand Crus in Saint-Émillion, where the soils of the vineyards are characterized by sandy gravel soils.
Situated between Saint Estephe and Pauillac, overlooking the first classified growths of Medoc, the Château Puy Castéra can claim one of the most prestigious wine neighborhoods in the world. This domaine of 18 hectares has a terroir of exception which provide to the wine complexity and elegance.
The name of this Château dates back to ancient times, meaning “fortress on a hill”. It is also notable for having once belonged to one of the biggest names in viticulture: Henri Marès, the man who discovered how to combat powdery mildew.
VARIETALS
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot
Originally from Schönberg, in the Rhineland, fleeing the consequences of the defeat of Napoleon I, the Yung family origins settled for more than a century in Algeria. Already listed in the first edition of Féret des Vins d’Oranie in 1886, the family developed its vineyard until independence, until forced to abandon the wine estates it had owned since 1859.
In 1862 Charles Young joined his older brother, already settled in Gironde. He then decides to acquire for his 2 children and his 2 nephews, the Château Haut Mondain, a 42-hectare AOC Bordeaux wine estate, followed then by Château Barail, Les Hauts de Palette and Moulin de Tassin.
Since 2020, the Charles Yung & Fils vineyards have been committed to a societal and environmental approach by obtaining High Environmental Value (HVE), level 3 certification.
Created in 1936, Château Talaris is a family estate of 7 hectares located in Tauriac (Gironde), close to the Pair-non-pair caves.
The vineyard of Château Talaris, lead by its owner Ms. Christelle Rios, has been certified sustainableHVE (High Environmental Value) and has been in the process of conversion to organic farming since 2020.
Along the length of North and South Islands, the cool clear waters of the Pacific Ocean carve deep natural coves into the landscape.
Intriguing for its unrivalled tranquillity, this spectacular eastern coastline of New Zealand is also renowned for its exceptional wines.
In these beautiful, but harsh, conditions the vines struggle for survival, producing low yields of high quality fruit with concentrated flavours.
Parcels from the Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley together combine to create a wine brimming with varietal character, balance and elegance.
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