Winemaker Notes
A dominant proportion of Merlot is blended with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its wine, which has great keeping potential, displays an intense ruby color. When aired, it releases aromas of sour cherry and blackcurrant. Big on the attack, it evolves harmoniously on the palate towards an expression of fine tannins with a ripe fruit flavor.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Sansonnet needs some coaxing to reveal notions of warm blueberries, plum preserves and boysenberries followed by Chinese five spice, licorice, fertile loam and charcuterie with a waft of lavender. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with layered black and blue fruits, framed by ripe, velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and with great purity.
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Decanter
Knitted down, with a creep of limestone and scraping minerality that peels the layers back slowly. This suggests confidence and is going to age well. Not exactly seductive today, but there is bitter black chocolate on display, precise cassis, plenty of tannins and a fresh backbone. Drinking Window 2025 - 2042.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A perennial overachiever, the 2017 Château Sansonnet is a hidden gem in this complex, irregular vintage. Black cherries, blueberries, violets, and hints of underbrush give way to a medium-bodied, rounded, supple, beautifully polished red that has sweet tannin and nicely integrated acidity. This estate was relatively unaffected by the April frost. The rough blend is 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, harvested between the 19th of September and the 5th of October, representing roughly 65% of the total production. It’s still aging in 100% new French oak.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
James Suckling
A tight, compact red with lots of chewy tannins, yet they are polished and poised. Full body. Savory with blue fruit at the end. A blend of 85% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 7% cabernet sauvignon. Needs time to come together. Better after 2022.
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Wine Spectator
This is enticing, with a succulent core of crushed plum, blackberry and dark currant fruit that melds nicely with apple wood and sweet tobacco notes. Shows a good brambly tug through the grippy finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2021 through 2032.
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Wine Enthusiast
Powerful tannins dominate this massive wine that has as much to do with structure as with dark black-fruit flavors. Dense and concentrated, it will age well and should be drunk from 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.