Les Asteries 2011
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This single vineyard cuvee from Jonathan Maltus is planted with 80-year-old vines that somehow survived the famous frost of 1956. Rooted in a thin layer of clay over limestone, they have produced a sensational dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 offering fragrant notes of forest floor, spring flower, lavender, creme de cassis, and a subtle touch of smoke. Broad, savory, rich and brilliantly executed, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15 years. The composition is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
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Wine Spectator
This has gorgeous fruit, with exotic plum, blackberry and loganberry notes seamlessly layered, carried by a well-embedded charcoal note and backed by a surprising floral lift on the finish. This is dense but has impressive cut and drive. Another Teyssier cuvée that has come along strongly since the barrel tasting. Best from 2016 through 2026. 300 cases made.
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Unlike most of the wines of the Chateau, Les Astéries exhibits a strain of minerality that emphasises the rock like sub-soil. The wine is pure vineyard rather than a 'winemaker's' wine. Huge colour, high extraction of black fruits, totally hedonistic palate but almost Saint-Estèphe grip on the finish, fresh and very, very long.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.