Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe 2016 Petit Faurie de Soutard has a tightly wound bouquet that unfurls in the glass to reveal black cherries, raspberry coulis and some lovely pencil box aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. This is a plush Saint Emilion that maintains fine balance and there is great depth towards the finish. Hopefully this will keep its lusciousness in bottle - this is how to do opulent Saint Emilion! I hope it lives up to expectations once in bottle. Rating: 92-94
This 19-acre estate is close to the city of Saint-Émilion, next door to Château Soutard of which it once formed a part. The latest release is rich and concentrated, with solid dark tannins as well as blackberry fruitiness. Its structure and richness promise good aging. Drink from 2022.
Now, the estate is owned by the well established Capdemourlin family, who also manages Chateau Cap de Mourlin, Chateau Balestard La Tonnelle and Chateau Roudier.
This small 8 hectare estate is planted to 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon on clay-limestone, sandy soils with an average vine age of 30 years. About 3,500 cases are produced per vintage.
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.
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.