Winemaker Notes
Little crispy red fruits and raspberry pips aromas on the nose. On the palate, the attack is soft and smooth. The wine is tight and shows a nice length. Finely grained tannins. Final is long and aromatic.
Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made by Veronique Corporandy and from an estate that flies under the radar too often, the 2017 Chateau Soutard checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Its deep purple color is followed by a beautifully complex wine that has medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberries, white truffle, spring flowers, and chocolate spice. Textured, fabulously balanced, with ripe tannins, I'd be happy to have bottles in the cellar. It's going to start drinking nicely with just a few years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more. This is an estate well worth following.
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James Suckling
Aromas of fresh red plums and a cedary edge, too. This has a very succulent and evenly paced palate that holds bright, red-plum flavor, amid soft, easy tannins. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Soutard comes racing out of the glass with vibrant blackberries, warm blueberries and redcurrants scents, plus wafts of roses and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate has loads of crunchy fruit and a seriously zippy line of freshness, finishing with a slightly chewy texture.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and focused, with a tasty core of blackberry and boysenberry coulis flavors racing through, laced with anise and pain d'épices notes. Stays focused on the silky finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
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.