Chateau de Chantegrive Graves Blanc 2007
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A leading estate in the southern Graves region, Chantegrive has produced a relatively rich 2007 white, its creamy texture given an edge by apple skin tannins, but still full, open, already generous to drink. There is a great layer of fresh pear juice, which blends well with lime acidity for a final burst of crispness.
Château de Chantegrive is located in Podensac in a beautiful Italian like setting overlooking acacia trees and vines typical of the Graves appellation. The south-facing vines are surrounded by a low stone wall and soak up the warm sunlight on beautiful summer days. There are river stones ranging in color from pink to beige on the vineyard’s fine sandy soil. Created in 1966 by Henri and Françoise Lévêque thanks to the sale of their precious stamp collection, Chantegrive continues to please customers around the world. The wine is expertly blended, elegant, and refined. It is much appreciated for its reliable quality. In conjunction with the cellar master, consulting oenologist
Hubert de Bou¨ard, owner of Château Angélus, ensures that Chantegrive is excellent in all vintages.
The vineyard is planted to an even split of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. For the white wine, the vineyard is planted to interestingly enough, an even split again of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon. The terroir is a mix of gravel, sand, limestone and small, quartz stones in the soil. The vines are on average 30 years of age. To produce the red wine of Chateau Chantegrive, the wine is vinified in tank. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine is aged in an average of 33% new, French oak barrels for 15 months. For the production of the Chateau Chantegrive Blanc, vinification takes place in 50% new, French oak barrels. There is no skin contact. There is no malolactic fermentation.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
Famous for both its red and white wines, Graves is a large region, extending 30 miles southeast of the city of Bordeaux, along the left bank of the Garonne River. Red wine producing vineyards cover well over three times as much area as the whites. In the late 1980s, the French created the separate appellation of Pessac-Léognan within the northern confines of Graves. It includes all of its most famous properties, and the southern suburbs of the city Bordeaux itself. In French "graves" is a term used to indicate gravelly soils.