Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A wine with beautiful chocolate and berry fruit with hints of minerals. Full and juicy, with fresh acidity and a refined finish. Not a big wine but balanced. Gorgeous Well done.
Barrel Sample: 91-92 Points -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The proprietor of l’Angelus, Hubert de Bouard, consults at this estate, which used to be part of the Cordier empire. A blend of primarily Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep ruby/blue/purple-colored 2011 offers hints of raspberries, blueberries and wild mountain berry fruit intermixed with earth and crushed chalk. Round, ripe and medium to full-bodied with good acidity and sweet tannin, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 12-15+ years.
Barrel Sample: 89-91 Points -
Wine Spectator
A rock-solid wine, with a charcoal frame and a hefty core of crushed plum, warm fig and blackberry ganache notes, showing well-integrated singed wood accents through the finish. A solid effort. Best from 2015 through 2023.
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.