The history of Château d’Issan consists primarily of a long list of property transmissions and legacies. By inheritance and marriage, the estate has been handed down from owner to owner, and all of them have contributed in their own way to its renown and helped to forge its unique character. Over a period of nearly three centuries, the estate was passed down along a line involving a number of families with names such as Noailhan, Meyrac, Ségur, Salignac, de la Vergne, Escodeca de Boisse, etc. From 1575 onwards, the property was owned by five generations of the Essenault family, who ended up renaming it, contracting their name to “Issan” and thus Château d’Issan was born…
Blason d’Issan, the second wine, was introduced from 1995 onwards to enable selection amongst our vines growing in the Margaux appellation area. Fruit from the youngest vines is used to produce this wine, which respects the identity of its terroir, while offering a tasty round fruitiness, which can be enjoyed earlier.
Château Cap de Faugères is a 46-hectare, estate in the pretty village of Sainte-Colombe, earning it the appellation of Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux. The vineyard has a fine terroir of limestone and clay slopes, a continuation of that of Saint-Emilion. Sustainable methods of natural viticulture are used to cultivate the vines.
From the same ownership (Silvio Denz) as Faugeres and Peby Faugeres, this 2017 Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux should prove to be very popular with consumers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Devils Cave Vineyard is a family owned business based in Heathcote, Victoria producing premium Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The ancient soils of Heathcote are said to be some 500 million years old which display some of the best characteristics for Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon vines.
The actual ‘Devil’s Cave’ is situated behind the vineyard on the McIvor range which lies adjacent to the township. The cave was once a place where Aborigines sheltered and was occupied as far back as 1864 by prospectors exploring the area for gold.
The philosophy is making wine by using minimal chemical input in the vineyard to maintain a healthy soil life, which also follows in the winemaking allowing the wine to speak it’s true sense of place. We believe that each wine is a true representative of the site, the variety and the vintage. Starting in 2012 making only a Shiraz wine and have since added a Cabernet Sauvignon a few years later.
For more info, visit Devil’s Cave Vineyardwebsite.
Devils Cave Vineyard is a family owned business based in Heathcote, Victoria producing premium Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The ancient soils of Heathcote are said to be some 500 million years old which display some of the best characteristics for Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon vines.
The actual ‘Devil’s Cave’ is situated behind the vineyard on the McIvor range which lies adjacent to the township. The cave was once a place where Aborigines sheltered and was occupied as far back as 1864 by prospectors exploring the area for gold.
The philosophy is making wine by using minimal chemical input in the vineyard to maintain a healthy soil life, which also follows in the winemaking allowing the wine to speak it’s true sense of place. We believe that each wine is a true representative of the site, the variety and the vintage. Starting in 2012 making only a Shiraz wine and have since added a Cabernet Sauvignon a few years later.
For more info, visit Devil’s Cave Vineyardwebsite.
Finca La Emperatriz is a winery with an extensive vineyard estate in Rioja Alta.
Viñedos Hermanos Hernáiz is the new project of brothers Eduardo and Víctor, who in 1996 acquired Bodega La Emperatriz, named as such because the first owner of these plots was Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III and Empress of France. With this new emphasis and with new projects at hand, the winery changed its name but its high-end wines retain the Finca La Emperatriz signature, the name of the ‘viñedo singular’ they come from, which is given to small, old plots with limited but high quality production and which, in summary, must comply with a series of strict standards to prove their quality. The grapes used to make El Jardín de la Emperatriz Tinto come from plots where the soils are mostly composed of white boulders over a sandy-loam structure and where the vines have an average age of 25 years old.
Since January 2020, the range of Classic Blends and Single Plot wines have disappeared, giving way to four new labels: a high-end red and white called “Finca la Emperatriz Gran Vino”, a blend of traditional Rioja varieties from a “viñedo singular”, a pure expression of terroir, like the great chateaux of Bordeaux; and their respective younger brothers also from the same estate, called El Jardín de la Emperatriz.
For more info, visit Finca La Emperatriz / Hermanos Hernáiz website.
Originally Venetian wine traders in 1912, the Fabiano family moved to Verona in 1956 to produce wine on a larger scale, sourcing fruit from Estate and contract vineyards in Soave, Bardolino, and Valpolicella.
Produced by a careful selection of local grapes from the high hills vineyard located in the classic area of the Valpolicella DOC region, in particular around the ancient village of Negrar, this Amarone is a wine of antique lineage. It is a limited production dedicated by Nicola Fabiano to his grandfather Francesco and to his father Sergio. They have been for their children and in particular for him (Nicola) an inspiration and a good example with their passion and tenacity in producing great quality wines.
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