Château des Annereaux epitomizes the incredible history of Bordeaux, with a mind-boggling saga that makes its long-established neighbors look like relative newcomers: The Annereau family holds documentation from 1390 referencing their estate’s creation in Lalande-de-Pomerol, and in the following century, they broke ground and began cultivating vines. As generations flew by, the estate progressed into the revered and insanely value-friendly wine that sits in front of you today.
But Château des Annereaux is more than a historical conversation piece—their ‘Grand Vin’ is a master class on Right Bank red and today’s 2007 illustrates the complex subtleties that come with mature, finely crafted Bordeaux. They’ve garnered their fair share of critical acclaim too, but Decanter put it most succinctly, stating that Annereaux was “an essential discovery for any claret lover.” Further, they are one of few in Bordeaux who hold an organic certification through ECOCERT; their modern push into organics was a concerted effort to recapture the days of old when farmers didn't have any choice but to work naturally! Today’s small batch wasn’t easy to track down—you won’t find this ‘07 anywhere else—which is why we had to negotiate a deal with them during our time in Bordeaux last year. That said, we don’t mind exerting more energy if it means the bottles that arrive at your doorstep have a flawless provenance. Once again, Bordeaux delivers!
It’s impossible to fully comprehend the Annereau family’s 600+-year run in Bordeaux, but we can appreciate it at the very least! They weren’t confined to Lalande-de-Pomerol, either—they eventually found their extended family stretching across both banks of Bordeaux. For example, Marguerite Annereau married André Malescot in the mid-1600s, triggering the “Malescot era.” This brought generations of successful leadership and led to the birth of Margaux Third Growth Malescot-St. Exupéry. However, like many châteaux, Annereaux was thrown into a state of pandemonium in following centuries, as it was plagued by financial issues, phylloxera, reappropriation—you name it. Though the modern estate is now owned by the Hessel family, that doesn’t take away the deep roots and intangible magic of this prized terroir. Quite the opposite: the Hessels were champions for replanting the vineyard, renovating the dilapidated estate, and pushing for organic farming without marring the traditions the château was built on.
Situated on the western side of Lalande-de-Pomerol (which abuts Pomerol from the north/northeast), Château des Annereaux possesses 23 hectares of organically farmed vines that are mostly planted to Merlot. After harvesting the crop by hand in 2007, the grapes were manually sorted and long, natural fermentations occurred in concrete vessels for each grape variety. After blending, the wine aged in French barrels, 25% new, for a minimum of 12 months. This batch was bottled in the early months of 2009 and aged undisturbed for nearly one decade before being shipped to the US for this offer.
This 2007 reveals a mature, distinctly two-toned color with very fine sediment particles populating its hazy brick orange rim, which is typical for a wine this age. I recommend standing the bottle upright a day or two before consumption and either quickly decanting (but not decanting too long!) for 15-30 minutes, or pulling the cork an hour before carefully serving into Bordeaux stems. Be alert as you approach the final few ounces to avoid pouring any sediment. Once in the glass, soft red, black, and blue fruit emerges with a graceful core of earthy savor. Red and black currant, dried blueberry, Bing cherries, red plums, and dried raspberries discretely blend with damp earth, dried mushrooms, cocoa dust, cedar, wet clay, bay leaf, vintage leather, and extremely delicate baking spices. The medium-bodied palate is rounded and graceful, revealing impressive finesse and ultra-smooth tannins that linger well after the wine has left your mouth. For $29, you’re getting a slice of legitimate Bordeaux in its prime drinking window that’s screaming for a classic pairing. So make sure to pull the cork on a couple bottles alongside something special: a rack of lamb with a cherry reduction sauce. Cheers!
