2013 Le Retout Blanc, Vin de France

2013 Le Retout Blanc, Vin de France

Product: 20138150992
 
2013 Le Retout Blanc, Vin de France

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About this WINE

Ch. du Retout

Ch. du Retout

Château du Retout, along with others, was wiped out in the 19th century by the phylloxera crisis, which occurred because vineyards were abandoned during the First World War.

In the 1950s, three devastated estates including Château du Retout, were purchased by the Kopp family, and replanted into vineyards. Father, daughter and son-in-law now manage all three estates.

Château du Retout has thirty four hectares of vineyard: thirty two hectares are located in the Haut-Médoc appellation and the other two hectares consist of mixed wine varieties. Its location is on a gravel covered rise, with an old mill sat at the highest point, in the middle of the vineyard.
The grape varieties are made up of: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot and the average age of the vines are around thirty years.

Château du Retout applies the principles of sustainable agriculture, using natural fertilisers like manure and compost. The grapes are harvested both mechanically and by hand. They are fermented for three to five weeks and then barrel aged in French oak barrels for twelve months.

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Haut-Medoc

Haut-Medoc

Despite being as visually unprepossessing as the rest of the Médoc (despite its grandiose châteaux) this large red-wine appellation of Haut-Médoc is home to some of the world’s greatest wines. Its 4,500 hectares of vineyards form a largely continuous strip that follows the Gironde from St Seurin-de-Cadourne, just north of St Estèphe, to Blanquefort in the northern suburbs of Bordeaux.

All the great communes of the Left Bank fall within its boundaries: Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe, as well as the up and coming Moulis and Listrac. These are labelled under their own, more illustrious and expensive appellation names. Châteaux labelled simply as Haut-Médoc rarely reach such heights, but nevertheless offer consistently good quality and offer some of the best value in Bordeaux.

Haut-Médoc wines tend to be firm and fine with generous fruit and a nice minerality – what many would consider ‘classic Claret’. They come from loftier vineyards and offer higher quality and more complexity than those labelled simply as ‘Médoc’. Almost all wines are a blend of the principal varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc – which helps producers hedge their bets if the slightly capricious climate causes one variety to fail. Small amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec and even Carmenère are also used.

The higher proportion of sand and gravel to the south tends to produce finer wines, while the heavier clay and gravel north of Margaux yields sturdier examples. The best Haut-Médocs are found north of Ludon, a village just below Margaux. These include five classified Growths: Third Growth Ch. La Lagune, underperforming Fourth Growth Ch. la Tour Carnet and Fifth Growths Ch. Cantemerle, Ch. Camensac and Ch. Belgrave – as well as a number of fine Cru Bourgeois. Ageing ability varies but the lesser wines are usually delicious after three to four years, lasting around a decade, while the Cru Classés have a drinkability window of around six to 15 years.

Recommended Châteaux (labelled as Haut-Médoc): Ch. Beaumont, Ch. Belgrave, Ch. Cantemerle, Ch. Peyrabon

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Other Varieties

Other Varieties

There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.

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