Those who know me and have enjoyed our Saint Emilion wine tasting will be well aware..... rightly or wrongly, my preference for the great reds of Bordeaux and the surrounding is well known.
Of course, it's nice to experience new sensations, to be moved by a fragrance or flavour that surprises you, but each of us has his or her own personality, and sooner or later chooses his or her favourite wine, sheltered from fashions and trends; of course we have great wines in the northern wine regions (Burgundy, Champagne, etc.), but for me, wines with acidic notes (or fresh as we prefer to call them....) are not my favourite.
The Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation is located on a group of very high-quality soils, mostly limestone, notably on a large plateau bordering the medieval town, where there are also alluvial gravels, sands and clays at different depths in the subsoil, depending on the plot and with great differences, sometimes just a few hundred metres apart.
The limestone soils provide the vines with an active water supply by capillary action, so that they never suffer excessive water stress during the increasingly dry summers of recent years.
The gravel stores up heat during the day and releases it to the vines at nightfall, allowing them to ripen properly.
Where there are no clays to keep the vines cool during the summer months, i.e. in the sandy-clay valley near the Dordogne, there are often problems of water stress, resulting in a loss of quality and sometimes a halt in ripening.
Several grape varieties are found in Saint-Émilion soils: Merlot (around 60%) and Cabernet Franc predominate, with smaller percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot dominates the blends (as in the case of our partner Ch. coutet, 60% of the Queue Rouge sub-variety), providing elegance, freshness and suppleness on the palate, as well as aromas of red and black fruits and spices. It is aged in oak barrels.
Cabernet Franc (30% for Ch. Coutet, sub-variety Bouchet) gives excellent results in Saint-Émilion, where it accounts for around a third of the vineyard. It gives the wines fine tannins and freshness, particularly with spicy aromas.
Cabernet Sauvignon (which accounts for 3% of Ch. Coutet) adds structure, body, complexity and tannins, but may not reach perfect ripeness in cooler summers at these latitudes (2021, for example).
The blend is completed by two other varieties that individual producers may or may not use, but in reduced quantities: Malbec (Ch. coutet, 7% of the Pressac sub-variety) and Carmenere-Petit Verdot (belonging to the same family).
Built to age, Saint-Émilion wines are fleshy, fruity and voluptuous, with a controlled power that becomes rounder with age, as well as tannins.
If you're over 18, a wine enthusiast and would like to take part in a wonderful excursion that will end with a delicious Saint Emilion wine tasting, come and visit us soon. Come and visit us soon - spring is a great time to visit the vineyards!
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