Chateau Puy-Blanquet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2011

Chateau Puy-Blanquet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2011

Country France

Region  Bordeaux Appellation Saint-Emilion

Grape  75% Merlot  15% Cabernet Franc  10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol 13%

Closure Cork

Producer

Château Puy-Blanquet is a privately owned estate of twenty hectares, located in Saint-Etienne de Lisse, in the eastern segment of the SaintEmilion appellation.

Vineyard

The vineyards are planted on chalky clay soil, and are traditionally ploughed and tended, with green harvests, leaf thinning and picking all done by hand.

Winery

The wine was fermented in temperature-controlled tanks, then aged for six months in second-fill barrels, and six months further in tank before bottling.

Taste

Elegantly plump Saint-Emilion from this accessible vintage, offering aromas of plums and tobacoo, a supple yet structured palate, and a delightful minerality on the finish.

Overlooking the Dordogne valley in a village two miles east of Saint-Émilion, this pretty vineyard is planted on a clay-limestone slope thanks to which the northern and eastern parcels enjoy perfect morning sunshine. Château Puy-Blanquet was known as one of the best Saint-Émilion Grand Crus as early as the 19th century, and was awarded a part of the collective gold medal bestowed upon a selection of Saint-Émilion chateaux at the Paris Exposition of 1889.

Today the vineyard is owned by the Jacquet family and managed by Pierre Meunier, who was trained by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix, with a real respect for tradition and quality. Soils are ploughed in order to ensure deeper root systems; green harvest, leaf-cropping, and harvests are done by hand. Thermo-regulated concrete tanks ensure well-controlled fermentations.

The wines are fresh and generous and can be enjoyed after just a two or three years of cellaring.