Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis crus bourgeois has produced a ripe and juicy wine in the 2015 vintage. While it is dense, acidity and black-currant fruits give it character and richness. This wine will develop further and should be ready from 2021.
Acquired from the Old Town Company, Domaine Rollan de By, a leader of the Crus Bourgeois, is one of the most significant properties in the Médoc region. This is due in part to the 200 hectares and exceptional terroir located around the area of By.
Located in the northern part of Medoc, not far from the Atlantic Ocean and close to the Estuary of the Gironde, the Domaines Rollan de By is a 180-hectare vineyard that benefits from a microclimate, protected from extreme conditions. Taking care of every detail, viniculturists have chosen the best areas to cultivate each grape variety. The vines are about 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. On gravelly soil, combined with sand and clay sub-layers, the vines have their roots deep into the arid soil. We implemented a rational way of culture that respects the environment as much as possible and return to traditional viticulture without excluding new technologies when they provide quality benefits. A minutious daily care is given to the maintenance and development of our vineyard.
Started with only a few acres by Jean Guyon, the strongest ambition was to create pleasant wines. Just like Jean Guyon, our wines have a very strong personality, based on the roundness of Merlot associated with Cabernet Sauvignon.
One of the most—if not the most—famous red wine regions of the world, the Medoc reaches from the city of Bordeaux northwest along the left bank of the Gironde River almost all the way to the Atlantic. Its vineyards climb along a band of flatlands, sandwiched between the coastal river marshes and the pine forests in the west. The entire region can only claim to be three to eight miles wide (at its widest), but it is about 50 miles long.
While the Medoc encompasses the Haut Medoc, and thus most of the classed-growth villages (Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe) it is really only those wines produced in the Bas-Medoc that use the Medoc appellation name. The ones farther down the river, and on marginally higher ground, are eligible to claim the Haut Medoc appellation, or their village or cru status.
While the region can’t boast a particularly dramatic landscape, impressive chateaux disperse themselves among the magically well-drained gravel soils that define the area. This optimal soil draining capacity is completely necessary and ideal in the Medoc's damp, maritime climate. These gravels also serve well to store heat in cooler years.
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.
