Located in the town of Bédarrides, Château Mont Thabor belongs to the Stehelin family since 1880. 4 hectares in Châteauneuf du Pape located on the plateau with a strong dominance of rolled pebbles and sandy red clay 6 hectares of Côtes du Rhône around Castle on light ground with presence of pebbles. The vines are worked in the philosophy of organic, without certification. The wines are vinified and raised quite traditionally, concrete vats without destemming, aging in barrels, no filtration. The wines are rich, robust, spicy and very complex. Paradoxically, they possess great finesse.
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.
For more info, visit Château Montaiguillonwebsite.
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.
This 2016 vintage is characterized by richness, finesse and elegance: it has everything it takes to become a great vintage.
Château Pailhas is certainly one of the prettiest discoveries in Saint-Emilion-Grand-Cru. The Merlot-dominated vineyard boasts a typical style of the right bank with a certain modernity bringing refined tannins to its wines.
Running along the edge of the Saint-Emilion appellation, this vineyard is owned by the Fauchey family, who have been making wine in the Bordeaux area since the 17th century. The estate, until the second world war, made mostly white wine for the army. Today though, the vineyard is mostly planted with merlot, the grape best suited to the climate and soil of the domain.
VARIETALS
85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
The vines of Pédesclaux sit upon a geological masterpiece whose origins date back 40 million years. It is this unique terroir, the Médoc par excellence, which was recognized by the 1855 classification.
Like the very best wines of its appellation, Château Pédesclaux reflects its complex terroir, emboding the density of Pauillac tempered by a unique sensuality.
Complexity, depth, sensuality, freshness and tension.
Pibran is an old Médoc name. Its highly reputed vineyard covers one of the finest outcrops of Pauillac. The estate, which originally had only just 10 hectares, was expanded in 2001 following the purchase of neighbouring property to reach the current size of 17 hectares of superb Garonne gravel soil. For a long time it belonged to the Billa family, who sold it to AXA Millésimes in 1987. The vineyards were restructured shortly after the purchase, and drainage was improved in order to get the best possible effect of the soil on the wine. Today Château Pibran is carefully produced by the same technical team that makes Château Pichon Baron and then moved in barrel, for aging in the cellars of Pibran.
Founded in the 12th century by monks from Vertheuil Abbey, the prieuré (or priory) of Cantenac produced well-reputed wines from the very beginning. The vineyard belonged to the Church until the French revolution. In 1951, Alexis Lichine, called “the pope of wine”, took over the estate and added his name two years later.
Now owned by the Ballande group, the château has entered a dynamic new phase of its history and is resolutely turned towards the future, bringing in the team Stephane Derenoncourt as their consulting oenologist. This is the first vintage Stéphane Derenoncourt and his team made in the new cellar. Don’t miss it.
For more info, visit Château Prieuré-Lichinewebsite.
VARIETALS
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Château Ségur de Cabanac takes its name from the illustrious and powerful family of the same name whose history was entwined with that of the Médoc going back to the 16th century. This aristocratic Bordeaux family owned great vineyards such as Lafite and Latour in Pauillac.
Consisting of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, Château Ségur de Cabanac is a Saint-Estèphe combining a powerful structure that enables it to age and a complex bouquet of red fruit and forest floor.
For more info, visit Château Ségur de Cabanacwebsite.
The Château Julien in Haut-Médoc neighbours the great terroirs of Saint Julien, the vines nestling on gravelly marls producing fruity, generous wines boasting harmonious tannins, in a style that has long made the reputation of Haut-Médoc.
This wine is their second label.
Vignobles Jean Sorge are home to the cru bourgeois Château Deyrem-Valentin and its little sister, Château Soussans. The estates nestle between two grands crus classés and date back to 1730. Christelle Sorge is now in charge and she continues on a path of tradition married with innovation to provide wines of ever increasing quality to lovers of Margaux everywhere.
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
Pibran is an old Médoc name. Its highly reputed vineyard covers one of the finest outcrops of Pauillac. The estate, which originally had only just 10 hectares, was expanded in 2001 following the purchase of neighbouring property to reach the current size of 17 hectares of superb Garonne gravel soil. For a long time it belonged to the Billa family, who sold it to AXA Millésimes in 1987. The vineyards were restructured shortly after the purchase, and drainage was improved in order to get the best possible effect of the soil on the wine. Today Château Pibran is carefully made by Jean-René Matignon and his team at Château Pichon-Baron, in their state-of-the-art winery. The wine is aged at Château Pibran, where a second wine in made, Château Tour Pibran.
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.
Download Tasting Note
