Château Chantecaille Clauzel
Saint-Emilion Red Bordeaux Blend
St. Émilion, Libournais, Bordeaux, France
See previous note which was my longest ever Delectable note. This wine has such an interesting story. Virtually unknown and surrounded by Right Bank royalty like Evangile, La Dominique and Petrus. Mainly Merlot with a small % of Cabernet Franc. Dark fruits with blackberry and a touch of vanilla. Only medium weight with soft fine tannins. Quite detuned. Cost $45 and drinks to its price point unlike the expensive wines produced by the neighbours. This tiny 0.4 hectare block’s grapes would normally be absorbed by one of the neighbours and end up in a much more expensive Cuvée. The previous Delectable note is incorrectly called Chateau Vieux Chantecaille but the lengthy description refers to this same wine.
See previous note which was my longest ever Delectable note. This wine has such an interesting story. Virtually unknown and surrounded by Right Bank royalty like Evangile, La Dominique and Petrus. Mainly Merlot with a small % of Cabernet Franc. Dark fruits with blackberry and a touch of vanilla. Only medium weight with soft fine tannins. Quite detuned. Cost $45 and drinks to its price point unlike the expensive wines produced by the neighbours. This tiny 0.4 hectare block’s grapes would normally be absorbed by one of the neighbours and end up in a much more expensive Cuvée. The previous Delectable note is incorrectly called Chateau Vieux Chantecaille but the lengthy description refers to this same wine.
Nov 11th, 2021Aromas of plum and tobacco from this predominantly Merlot Wine with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc. Chocolatey flavours accompany the plum on the palate. This Wine is a rarity and was”discovered by Andrew Caillard MW from Australia’s leading auction house, Langtons. The grapes come from a tiny 0.4 Hectare Block along the boundary of St Emillion and Pomerol. The vineyard is surrounded by some of the biggest names of the right bank and is crammed between vines belonging to Ch L’Evangile and Ch La Dominique. Over the narrow gravel road is Chateau Petrus and Chateau Gazin. Across the D244 just a few metres away are vines belonging to Ch Cheval Blanc. It has largely existed unnoticed by the worlds Wine critics and survives in its current form because of it’s tiny size, local politics and dogged family hope” to paraphrase Caillard. Caillard goes on “Curiously the Chantecaille Vineyard has no Grand Cru classification because no Cellars have been built on the property. The Vineyard is so small (only 0.4 hectare) that any building would require the destruction of the Vineyard; a pointless exercise. As a consequence the crop is tractored to Chateau Guillot Clauzel in the commune of Pomerol, just a few kilometres away where it is vinified and then matured in barrel; all 5 or 6 of them! If “Chantecaille” was purchased by one of its more illustrious neighbours, the fruit could be incorporated in a more prized and expensive label!” The Wine itself was no Petrus but was medium bodied with M- intensity and light tannins Fermented in stainless steel and aged in used oak barrels it has little oak influence. All in all a curio. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this little Vineyard. Postscript:
My longest ever Delectable Note but I thought it was an interesting story. 🍷
Aromas of plum and tobacco from this predominantly Merlot Wine with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc. Chocolatey flavours accompany the plum on the palate. This Wine is a rarity and was”discovered by Andrew Caillard MW from Australia’s leading auction house, Langtons. The grapes come from a tiny 0.4 Hectare Block along the boundary of St Emillion and Pomerol. The vineyard is surrounded by some of the biggest names of the right bank and is crammed between vines belonging to Ch L’Evangile and Ch La Dominique. Over the narrow gravel road is Chateau Petrus and Chateau Gazin. Across the D244 just a few metres away are vines belonging to Ch Cheval Blanc. It has largely existed unnoticed by the worlds Wine critics and survives in its current form because of it’s tiny size, local politics and dogged family hope” to paraphrase Caillard. Caillard goes on “Curiously the Chantecaille Vineyard has no Grand Cru classification because no Cellars have been built on the property. The Vineyard is so small (only 0.4 hectare) that any building would require the destruction of the Vineyard; a pointless exercise. As a consequence the crop is tractored to Chateau Guillot Clauzel in the commune of Pomerol, just a few kilometres away where it is vinified and then matured in barrel; all 5 or 6 of them! If “Chantecaille” was purchased by one of its more illustrious neighbours, the fruit could be incorporated in a more prized and expensive label!” The Wine itself was no Petrus but was medium bodied with M- intensity and light tannins Fermented in stainless steel and aged in used oak barrels it has little oak influence. All in all a curio. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this little Vineyard. Postscript:
My longest ever Delectable Note but I thought it was an interesting story. 🍷