About this WINE
Domaine de l'A
World-renowned consultant Stèphane Derenoncourt and his wife, Christine, purchased 2.5 hectares in the commune of Sainte-Colombe in the Côtes de Castillon in 1999. Today, they have 11 hectares divided among various parcels, the majority on a south-facing slope with tuffeau limestone soil (to which Stephane attributes his wine’s floral aroma). The average age of the Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Franc (30%) vines is 55 years old. The domaine is organic but – for the time being – uncertified. Yields are tiny: 28 hl/ha in a generous vintage. Owing to its scale, undulating vineyards and the ethereal character of its wines, the domaine has a distinctly Burgundian vibe.
Cotes de Castillon
To the east of the St Émilion wine appellation, and on the north bank of the Dordogne, Côtes de Castillon has been the site of considerable interest and investment since the early 2000s. Wine production is significant, yielding over 1.5 million cases per annum and quality is quite variable, ranging from the everyday from the sandy and light gravel soils to imposing, aspirational wines benefiting from considerable investment, and made from the clay and limestone vineyards on higher slopes.
The style of these latter wines is akin to good St Émilion, and the wines use predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In common with other regions recognised to produce interesting and good-value wines, several well-known St Émilion proprietors have invested in the appellation over the past decade, among them Gérard Perse of Ch. Pavie, Stephan Von Neipperg of Canon-la-Gaffelière, and consultant Stéphane Derénoncourt.
Description
I simply love this wine. It doesn’t get one of my highest scores of the vintage, far from it, but it is so effortless and eminently drinkable that it is hard to put down. I can’t recall having a wine quite like it. Tertre Rôteboeuf had always been my reference point for “Burgundy-style” Bordeaux, but this has gone beyond even François Mitjavile’s impressive offerings. A blend of 75 to 80 percent Merlot and 20 to 25 percent Cabernet Franc (either he couldn’t remember the exact blend or I wasn’t listening properly), this has an easy feel, fresh with a distinctly Cabernet Franc, lifted nose, with notes of chocolate and menthol. There is a very fine grain to the tannins that sink into the pretty and gentle, fruit-filled core. There is a cooling quality to this wine, a natural ease to its demeanour. Very drinkable now, this will be an absolute delight in about five years – I can’t wait.
Peter Newton - Priva
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