Sansonnet 2011

This is a property to reckon with this year. I tasted 5 batches already poured in new barrels and before malolactic and it is already promising. Its terroir is as good a 1st growth and the personnel and equipment invested of the same level. We’ll just see if the March tastings will prove my point?

I drank during a meal with a friend an astonishing wine I discovered during Bettane & Desseauve’s tasting at the Carrousel du Louvre, thanks to Hervé Bizeul and François Mauss: Mariasole Lacrima di Morro d’Alba 2007 from Domaines Lucchetti. With 16.5%, this wine will not please everyone’s palate. The power of the fruit opens up in the glass after a few minutes and brings out aromas of dark red roses which are both heady and spicy making me want to drink some more. Thank you for the recommendation François. I would love to plant some here but this varietal is not authorized by our appellation  and my nursery has not been able to find any.
The vinification of this wine is also special with a long maceration and short aging, if I believe the internet the price of this bottle seems to be quite cheap.

I drank with my family a bottle of Griffe de Cap d’Or 1998 we produced in the beautiful terroir of this small appellation of Saint Georges Saint Emilion, south facing hillside, clayey-limestone, a dream terroir. My father-in-law was still helping us harvest at that time and this 100% Merlot matured nicely. A fine wine, in the style of a Pomerol with truffles, spices and ripe grapes. This wine was already very good at that time, 1998 being a great vintage on the right bank, rated 89 by Robert Parker and the other vintages 87/88, with similar notes in the Wine Spectator, it was ranked No 1 during the Satellite Crus Cup organized in 1998-1999-2000. I still have the nice carafe I received during the event and which astonished everyone. Goes to show that there are no “bad terroir”, but only under-utilized terroir which is still relevant today.

Also still valid today is the focus on only noble appellations, forgetting that just in the right bank you also have Fronsac, Lussac Saint Emilion and Montagne, Puisseguin Saint Emilion and the cuvee produced by their cooperative, even Côtes de Francs and Castillon, Bourg, Blaye and even some Bordeaux...