Country: | United States |
Region: | Bordeaux |
Winery: | Chateau Castegens |
Grape Type: | Merlot |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Chateau Castegens Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon is made from 80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wine boasts an intense, deep and lively red color. The nose offers black fruit, blackberry, cigar box, licorice, some delicate and integrated oak flavors as well. The mouth is full of fruit flavors, spice and fine toasty flavors. The structure is rich, but the tannins are well integrated already. The finish is long and a slight mintiness give the wine a great length and some purity.
Pairs great with meat and vegetables on the grill.
Chateau Bourdieu Absolu Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux is made from 79% merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec.
When Luc Schweitzer was joined by his two sons Richard and Ludovic at the estate, he wanted to embrace this new chapter in the family history and launched in 2016 a special cuvée from Château Bourdieu called "Absolu". This top-of-the-range cuvée is the best of what their terroir has to offer. The 35 year-old facing south vines benefit from a meticulous care: regular maintenance of the soil, yield control, manual leaf stripping, sorting of the berries - all practices that ensure the quality of this great Bordeaux wine.
A deep garnet color with magnificent purple highlights. The nose is intense and full, revealing notes of ripe black fruits and subtle hints of vanilla and roasted coffee. Great structure with finesse and tannic density that brings depth and length to the mouth. The aromatic purity of the perfectly ripened grape varieties is magnified by the complex and subtle oak flavors.
Pair: Rib of grilled beef and tournedos Rossini - butter pan-fried beef filet served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh foie gras.
Review:
"A rich, opulent wine, this is full of dark tannins and powerful fruit. It's a big wine, with licorice and dense wood flavors that give a smoky character and reflect some serious extraction. The wine needs to smooth out to showcase its concentrated richness. Drink from 2024. - Roger VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (May 2021), 91 pts
Chateau Brule Secaille Grande Reserve Cotes de Bourg Rouge is made from 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.
The color is deep dark ruby. limpid and brilliant. The nose is intense and complex with hints of blackberries, sweet spicies, noble plain chocolate and Vanilla. The palate is full bodied, very long with well integrated tannins. The finish is very fresh and luscious with toasted notes in the background.
Average age of the vines is 30 years.
Manual harvest from September 21th to October 7th 2015.
Upon arrival at the winery, only the best grapes were selected using a sorting table.
Skin contact maceration during 2 weeks in temperature controlled vats.
Aged 12 months in Oak barrels. (1/3 new oak, 1/3 1 year old and 1/3 two year old barrels). They use 60% French Oak and 40% American Oak.
Served with red meat (beef filet, sirloin), pork tenderloin, roasted duck breast with honey&orange sauce, roasted lamb with thyme, poultry and fine cheese.
Review:
"A purple-colored, young wine dominated by Merlot, this is rich, structured and full of blackberries. With a good balance between the fruit and the tannins already in place, it shows excellent potential. Drink this already delicious but still firm wine from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2018, Best of Year 2018 Issue), 90 pts
Bellevue Cotes de Bordeaux-Castillon Cé Ma Cuvée is made from 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc
The wine is made with 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Average age of the vines is 50 years old (everything is between 40 and 60 years old).
Cé Ma Cuvée is a tribute from Michel Lydoire to his 2 daughters:
Cé is for Céline. She is like the Merlot grape varietal. Pleasant and calm.
Ma is for Marina. She is like the Cabernet Franc grape varietal. Tough and with a lot of character.
The color is deep and inky.
The nose is spicy, fruity and oaky with some nice vanilla and coconut aromas.
The mouthfeel is complex, with ripe red and black fruit flavors. Some spiciness and integrated oak flavors.
The wine starts as the Vieilles vignes, but some wine is aged in 500-liter American Oak Barrels for 18 months.
They are using a mix of different toastiness for the barrels. Some high toast and some are medium toast.
This is a fun wine that can be enjoyed with any food, charbroil burgers, grilled vegetables, cheeses ... or even with dark chocolate desserts.
Chateau Arnauds des Bordeaux Rouge is made from 100% Merlot.
The wine shows a deep red purple color and intense aromas of black fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry) with hints of liquorice. Very fruity and well-balanced. It is powerful and well structured in the mouth with round and silky tannins, ripe flavors of black fruits. Strong and a slightly spicy finish.
Grapes are coming from 30 year old vines planted on gravelly soils.
The land benefits from sun exposure, warmth and humidity that are strong assets for the vine culture.
The wine pairs well with game meat and beef on the grill.
This wine reveals a complex and elegant bouquet that combines ripe fruit, leather and a fine woodiness. Round and warm on the attack, the palate is supported by solid tannins and a pleasant freshness in this harmonious and well textured wine.
The Merlot bring fruity notes and minerality from the clay-limestone terroir, enhanced by the incredibly expressive and spicy Cabernet Franc.
Review:
"A terrific effort from this large and immaculately maintained property on the clay-limestone slopes of the Côtes de Castillon, the 2019 d'Aiguilhe exhibits aromas of cherries and cassis mingled with notions of burning embers, licorice and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a mineral finish, it's intelligently matured in tank and large-format oak as well as small barriques. - William Kelley"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2022), 92 pts
"The 2019 d'Aiguilhe has a really lovely bouquet of ample black cherry, mulberry and light floral scents, very pure and delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with cedar-infused red fruit. While not as exuberant as the aromatics, this is nicely detailed and quite poised on the finish. No, I still cannot pronounce its name, but this Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is well worth seeking out. - Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2022), 92 pts
Chateau Castegens Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon is made from 80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wine boasts an intense, deep and lively red color. The nose offers black fruit, blackberry, cigar box, licorice, some delicate and integrated oak flavors as well. The mouth is full of fruit flavors, spice and fine toasty flavors. The structure is rich, but the tannins are well integrated already. The finish is long and a slight mintiness give the wine a great length and some purity.
Pairs great with meat and vegetables on the grill.
The Château overlooks the Dordogne valley above the village of Castillon-la-Bataille, adjacent to its prestigious neighbour Saint Emilion, only 8 km away. The vineyards are planted on the upper part of predominantly south facing slopes which provide excellent natural drainage and optimum exposure to the sun.
The origins of the estate date back to the early 15th century, not long before the famous battle of Castillon took place in 1453, which ended the Hundred-Years war between the English and the French. With the two other major events that occurred the same year (invention of printing by Gutenberg in Germany, fall of Constantinople in Turkey), most historians consider 1453 to mark the endof the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance. Highlighting the property’s historical significance, each summer, the estate pays host to the re-enactment of this battle, an epic spectacle with 600 actors and cavaliers.
Château Castegens and its vineyard have been in the same family for 160 years. Curator of the tradition of excellence within the Appellation, the current owner, Baron Jean-Louis de Fontenay, since 1994, has been continuously elected by his peers the Grand Master of the « Confrérie des Chevaliers des Côtes de Castillon ».
Côtes de Bordeaux – Castillon is one of the most ancient wine region in the Bordeaux area,
Area under vine : 28 hectares (estate’s total surface is 120 hectares)
The soil is made of clay and limestone, with an emergence of flint.
The vineyard is planted with 80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
The average age of the vines : 30 years old - Density : 5000 plants / ha
Viticulture
Leaf thinning on one side, green harvesting on the youngest vines, minimising of environmental impact.
Average yield : 45 hectolitres per hectare
Winemaking
Temperature controlled fermentation, micro-oxygenation, hydraulic vertical wine press.
Ageing : 12 months in French and American oak barrels (a third is renewed each year).
Chateau Franc Lartigue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is made from Merlot 70%, Cabernet franc 15%, Cabernet sauvignon 15%
Eight hectare property in the town of Saint-Emilion. Elegant and structured wine, keep for 10 to 15 years depending on the vintage.
Review:
Vines with an average age of 35 years have produced a concentrated wine. It is rich and full, while also having restraint and elegance. That makes for a fine balancing act of generous tannins and opulent black fruits. Drink the wine from 2021
- Wine Enthusiast 92 Points
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle No. 26 is a blend of 58% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir
white gold in color with delicate and persistent bubbles, Grand Siecle No. 26 offers a very complex nose which mixes honeysuckle, lemon, clementine and fresh butter aromas, followed by notes of hazelnut and a touch of honey. The feel in the mouth is very delicate and fresh with candied lemon and fresh hazelnut aromas. The palate is silky and mineral with notes of honeysuckle, flaked almonds and clementine.
It pairs with high quality produce and refined dishes, including shellfish, noble fish and white meats such as Thai style langoustine tartare and fine roasted poultry.
Vintage in Champagne is usually synonymous with excellence for Prestige Cuvées. Contrarily, Laurent‑Perrier believes that only the art of assemblage can offer what nature can never provide, that is, the perfect year.
The expression of the perfect year is that of a great champagne wine that has long ageing potential and over time develops depth, intensity and aromatic complexity yet retains its freshness and vibrancy.
Since 1959, Grand Siècle has been revealed only 26 times in bottle format and 23 times in magnum.
The « Grand Siècle » (Great Century) is the name given to one of the most prosperous periods (17th century) in the history of France known for the capacity of man, through his works, to create what nature cannot. Louis XIVth, known as the « Sun King », by creating the « Château de Versailles » and its gardens, was the architect of this model of harmony, balance and perfection.
The symmetry and perspective of the « Jardins à la française », the capacity to grow Mediterranean fruits (especially Oranges inside the « Orangerie ») in such a Northern climate, creating the Grand Canal, the fountains and ponds with no nearby rivers are many illustrations of this ability of man to sublimate natural elements. The name of Grand Siècle was chosen for Laurent‑Perrier’s Prestige Cuvée based on this common vision to reach a perfection that Nature, on its own, cannot provide.
Review:
This is really something. Electric on the palate. The aromas are so complex with sliced fresh and dried ginger, subtle pie crust, tarte tatin and hints of nutmeg with some salted caramel. Toasted bread, too. Always subtle. The palate is full- to medium-bodied yet hemmed-in with a freshness and balance that draws you back. Savory and vibrant. It's full of energy. Spectacular. Fascinating. Symphonic blend of 2012, 2008 and 2007. 65% of the 2012, 25% of the 2008 and 10% of the 2007. Eight grand cru. Chardonnay 58% and 42% pinot noir. Disgorged February 2023. 10 years on the lees. 7g/L dosage.
-James Suckling 100 Points
Mordoree Lirac Blanc Reine des Bois is made from Grapes : Grenache 35 % Clairette 25 % Viognier 10 % Roussanne 15 % Marsanne 10 % Picpoul 5%>
Color : green gold
Aromas : white fruits, peach, apricot, pear, violet.
Palate : rounded, long finish, highly flavoured.
Ageing Potential : 4-5 years.
Surface : 4 Ha. Yield : 35 Hl./Ha. Vineyard age : 30 years Terroir : Clay / chalk with pebble stones. Harvest : by hand Vinification : skin maceration and direct pressing with temperature control. Fermentation : oak barrel fermentation for 25% of the total volume
Pairs well with appetizers, fish, seafood.