Blason d’Issan, Château d’Issan’s second wine, was introduced from 1995 onwards to enable selection amongst the vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Made from the younger plots (around 18 years old), it respects the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier.
The grapes in 2017 that were picked were lovely and fruity, and very ripe with silky, classy tannins.
Illusion, esteem for the land and commercial will encouraged a group of farmers and wine experts to establish Bodegas del
Medievo. Medievo wines are the fruit of the work of generations of farmers who form Medievo and from the hands and know-hown of winemaker Santiago Garde.
A surprising, full bodied and structured example of Rioja Reserva red.
For more info, visit Bodegas del Medioevo website.
VARIETALS
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo
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.
The 2017 Cantemerle is deeply colored with reserved, sustained aromas…everything which indicates a bottle with a future, a very good bottle indeed. Nonetheless, those who appreciate young wines will find much to enjoy: with careful aerating in a decanter, pleasant blackberry aromas become evident. The wine shows good fruit that is both youthful and fresh.
One of the few Bordeaux châteaux with three words in their name, Château Haut Bages Liberal came across its unusual moniker for very simple reasons: the property is situated on the hills of Bages, a tiny area between Pauillac and St. Julien. Liberal is the name of the family that owned the chateau during the 18th century.
Today Chateau Haut Bages Liberal is run by Claire Villars-Lurton, the wife of Gonzague Lurton, the owner of Chateau Durfort Vivens located in the Margaux appellation.
The vineyard is widely dispersed in the appellation, as they have parcels located in several different sites in Pauillac, with their best terroir being situated on one of the better elevations in the entire Pauillac appellation. They have vines not far from Chateau Latour in St. Lambert, as well as parcels on the plateau of Bages.
The vintage is now undergoing certification in organic and biodynamics farming.
For more info, visit Château Haut-Bages Libéralwebsite.
Situated in the commune of Martillac, this 20-hectares property once belonged to Baron de Montesquieu. Today, the estate is owned by Mr. Eric Perrin which also owns the famous Château Carbonnieux. Because of its special localization, its terroir and the choices of winemaking in the vineyard and the cellar, the Château Haut-Vigneau plays between the greatest ones.
Traditionally Château Larcis Ducasse, a St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, was regarded as a property with exceptional terroir but a constant under-performer. This has changed, mainly thanks to the talents of a new winemaking team headed up by Nicolas Thienpont (of Château Pavie Macquin repute) and Stephane Derenoncourt(the mercurial ‘flying wine consultant’) who have managed to unlock the potential of this sleeping giant.
The estate is located on one of Bordeaux’s finest strips of terroir – the Cote Pavie in St Emilion. The vines are planted on an eclectic range of soils – alluvial sand deposits, clay, chalk and limestone.
With a terroir spared by the episodes of frost at the end of April, Château Larcis Ducasse proved to be one of the greatest favorites of this vintage of contrasts. From a blend dominated by Merlot (92%) and completed by Cabernet Franc (8%), Château Larcis Ducasse 2017 is a real success for Nicolas Thienpont.
For more info, visit Château Larcis Ducassewebsite.
The Barton family’s passion for wine is reflected in the elegance and consistency of Château Léoville Barton. This estate was classified as a 2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855 and lies within the iconic terroir of Saint Julien in the Médoc.
The Château was built in 1758 by Monsieur de Pontet. Beneath the private apartments lie the crypted vaulted cellars in which silence reigns eternal.The most renowned vintages of Léoville Barton are left to age in the peace and quiet of these cellars to reach their ultimate potential.
For more info, visit Château Leoville Barton website.
Located in the village of Pez, whose name comes from the ancient French word meaning “peace”, the Château Ormes de Pez covers 40 hectares of vineyards. The château has been linked to the Cazes family for more than a century. Although Lynch-Bages is without a doubt the flagship of the Domaines Jean-Michel Cazes, Ormes de Pez belongs to the Medoc landscape since the 18th century. Purchased by Jean-Charles Cazes in the wake of the Second World War, the history of these two estates is closely linked.
The wines from Ormes de Pez are powerful yet characterized by their harmonious structure. They are indulgent, pleasurable and combine a smooth, fleshy texture with the distinctive elegance of a Saint-Estèphe.
Château Ormes de Pez 2017, although more like a Pauillac on the nose, offers the experience of a great Saint-Estèphe full of elegance and charm.
The Domaine’s Grand Vin vineyard is located to the west of the town of Ordonnac.
Its vines are aligned on a double clay-gravelly talweg and they produce a very fine wine with a tight texture, great richness and magnificent freshness. Its qualities often place Château Potensac as the representative of the “pure Médoc style”.
An emblematic property of the Margaux appellation on the left bank of the Bordeaux region, Château Prieuré-Lichine bears witness to a prestigious heritage. The vines of the castle were originally cultivated by the monks under the leadership of Pope Clement V. In the 18th century, viniculture developed, thanks to the attraction of the English for the wines of the region. At this time, the wines of the Church acquired a strong notoriety.
After its classification of 4th Grand Cru Classé in 1855 , the domain of Prieuré-Lichine continues its development. In 1953, Alexis Lichine, nicknamed the Pope of Wine , succeeded him. The castle is experiencing a new boom. The domain which was then called Prieuré-Cantenac, becomes Prieuré-Lichine. When he died on June 1, 1989, his family took over as head of the estate.
The year 2017 will long remain in the collective memory in Bordeaux, because of the devastating spring frosts that ocurred over the last ten days of April. Despite these difficult conditions, the exceptional terroir of Margaux produces high quality, aromatic grapes with silky tannins.
For more info, visit Château Prieuré-Lichinewebsite.
VARIETALS
63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 5% 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.
This property is located in Etauliers, north of the Gironde 1er Cotes de Blaye, on a clay soil and sandy grave on 13 hectares in production. The wines of Chateau Thomas Laurent are predominantly from the Merlot grape that gives soft and round structure to the wine.
VARIETALS
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Léon Nony established the Château Treytins estate in the 1950’s, but its vineyards were planted in the 19th century by the Count de Kermartin. After Léon Nony’s death in 1959, his son, Michel, then his grandson, Jean-Marc, continued his work building up the vineyard estate. In the 1990’s, the vat room and cellars were extended and completely renovated to incorporate new techniques and the latest thinking in terms of vinification and ageing, while preserving traditional know-how.
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.
The younger sibling in the Lascombes family is no junior. Selected from batches that are not earmarked for the Grand Vin, this Second Wine of Château Lascombes has undeniable charm and offers real drinking pleasure.
Clos de l’Oratoire, located on Saint-Emilion’s northeast slope, where the terroir of Fronsac molasse is made by a layer of sandy soil and a clay subsoil, ideally suited to Merlot (80% of the vines).
In the middle of the 19th century, Beylot, a merchant from Libourne, acquired Château Peyreau, a vast property located northeast of St Emilion. Redeemed in the 1960s by Michel Boutet, this one splits it in two and succeeds in classifying “Premier Grand Cru” the best vines under the name “Clos de l’Oratoire”. In 1971, he sold the ensemble (Peyreau and Clos de l’Oratoire) to Count Joseph-Hubert von Neipperg .
The family has made wine in Germany since the 13th century, and viticulture has never stopped being a central part of their life. The custodian of some 800 years of winegrowing tradition, the talented Stephan von Neipperg, agronomist and son of Joseph-Hubert, manages the Bordeaux estates acquired by his family in 1971. Ably assisted by a team of professionals, he has brought the wines from these châteaux to the pinnacle of quality.
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