Chateau Sansonnet 2018
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James
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Jeb
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wine, with great aging potential, is characterized by an intense ruby color. When aired, it releases aromas of sour cherry and blackcurrant. Full on the attack, the palate harmoniously evolves towards fine tannins with a flavor of ripe fruit.
Blend: 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackberry, black truffle, red tile and walnut on the nose. Full-bodied with a very dense, polished palate of ripe, firm tannins and beautifully pure fruit. Transparent and gorgeous. This will age nicely. Try after 2024.
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Jeb Dunnuck
This estate has been on fire of late and that doesn't appear to have changed with the 2018 Château Sansonnet. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a young, unevolved bouquet of pure crème de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, bouquet garni, chocolate, and distinct chalky minerality, it delivers remarkable purity, full-bodied richness, silky tannin's, and flawless balance. A wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a beautiful mix of richness, elegance, and length, it's as good, if not even better than the 2016. Don't miss it! Rating : 96+
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a generous, ripe wine, with rich, supple tannins. Its acidity and fine fruitiness are already giving great structure. The wine will certainly age well.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Sansonnet is a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. With 15% alcohol and a deep garnet-purple color, it opens a little broody, offering glimpses at tar and damp earth notes before bursting forth with expressive plum preserves, blueberry pie and licorice scents, followed by hints of cedar chest and pencil lead. Full-bodied, rich and impactful in the mouth, the generous black fruits are nicely framed by firm, rounded tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and earthy. Rating: 94+
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Wine Spectator
Dark currant, fig and blackberry paste flavors are entwined with singed alder, dried tobacco and iron-tinged minerality. Nice drive through the finish too. Well done. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2034.
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Decanter
Owned by Marie Lefévère. A ton of interest, with power and depth to the black fruits and the salty lick of limestone coming through at the end. This is excellent quality and has a brilliant, slow slate finish - I love this texture. 80% new oak, with amphorae used in the ageing alongside barrels. This has improved for me over ageing and is an upscore. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040
Other Vintages
2022-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
- Vinous
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling - Decanter
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling - Decanter
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Wine
Enthusiast
- Vinous
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
Doctor in pharmacy, Marie-Benedicte Lefevere has taken over the management at Chateau Sansonnet since 2009. It is in the cellars of the family properties in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion that culture and passion for wine was passed on to her. It is now with a lot of ambition and determination that she imagines the future of the production for Chateau Sansonnet, putting all her will and attachment to the property to hoist it to the top of the appellation.
Chateau Sansonnet is located in the North East corner of Saint-Emilion in the heart of the Grands Classified Growths. The exceptional terroir is composed of a thin layer of clay on limestone. Winemaker Dominique Bordeneuve has great experience in winemaking after 20 years at Chateau Sansonnet, it allows the property to rely on a unique knowledge of its terroir and plot. Jean Trias, technical manager, has always been passionate by the world of wine. He held positions and responsibilities in many properties before settling at Chateau Sansonnet in 2000 where he strives to develop the best wines.
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.