Château Du Vieux Montpezat (Organic) 2016 ~ Bordeaux, France

Organic

Acclaimed owner of a St Emillion Grand Cru

Connoisseur "Forward in character and crowd-pleasing in style, with the ability to age."

Wine Enthusiast "This lightly structured wine is all fruit. Its red berry flavors are already well integrated with the smoky tannins that form its core." (2014 Vintage)

The Winemaker "Aromas of cherries, cassis, blueberries, cedar, tobacco, cocoa, pencil, pepper, laurel, oregano and violet. Fleshy, juicy, velvety on the palate, dense fruit, delicately spicy, complex, very elegant and long-lasting. Aged for 12 months in 1/3 new oak barrels." (2014 Vintage)

Roger Barlow "There are very pleasant fruity, ripe plum and spice aromas on the nose that continue on the palate. This is a delicious wine with a generous palate, fine-grained tannins, a voluptuous structure and a long finish." (2015 vintage)

70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc

Jean-Francois Meynard and Christelle Gauthier produce wine from three different Bordeaux appellations, all close to the Dordogne River; Côtes de Castillon, Saint Emilion and Entre-Deux-Mers. The most famous estate being Château L’Etoile de Clotte, a Saint Emilion Grand Cru. Both of their families have roots in the region extending back to the 19th century. Located in Saint Magne De Castillon, Château Du Vieux Montpezat is a small 10 hectare property operated on the principles of organic agriculture.

Bordeaux's Côtes de Castillon appellation is a growing area with AOC status since 1989. The approximately 3000 hectares of vineyards border Saint-Émilion and Bergerac and has similar tasting wines which are less expensive than its famous neighbours.

Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, needs little introduction as one of the world's most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions. Its three trump cards are diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90 per cent of production volume) are the dry, medium- and full-bodied red Bordeaux Blends that established its reputation. The finest (and most expensive) of these come from the great châteaux of the Haut-Médoc and the Right Bank appellations Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. The legendary reds are complemented by high-quality white wines, both dry styles (particularly from Pessac-Léognan) and the sweet, botrytized nectars of Sauternes.

A Bordeaux Blend is any combination of those grape varieties typically used to make the red wines of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is widely accepted as a compulsory component of any Bordeaux Blend along with Merlot. In fact, the majority of Bordeaux Blend wines are often made exclusively from a blend of these two varieties. The remaining components are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.