Placeholder Image

Château Chaigneau, Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux, France 2010 (750mL)
$24.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Château Chaigneau, Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux Blend


The Château Chaigneau estate has a history that reaches back to the early 1900’s. Although the recent owner, Monsieur Sanchez-Ortiz, only purchased the estate ten years ago, he has stayed true to tradition and crafts his wine in an expression that is authentically old world. His twelve hectares boast some of the best soils in the Lalande de Pomerol. From gravel and calcareous clay soils, the unique parcels for this wine are about 600 meters from the world-famous Château Petrus. The 25 to 30-year-old vines are worked by hand, heavily green harvested and then finally harvested by hand. The wine is double sorted – once in the vineyard and once in the cellar.
 
Once the fruit enters the winery, Cellar Master Guy Roques begins traditional vinification in thermoregulated stainless steel and cement vats. The fermentation takes place over 28 days then the wine is aged partly in cement with the remainder in French oak for one year. The blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc delivers a genuine snapshot of the right bank’s terroir without manipulation or the overt influence of new oak. The resulting wine can compete with serious examples in the region at a fraction of the price thanks to its slightly-off-the-beaten-path locale. In short, if you appreciate classic right bank Bordeaux, this is your wine.

The 2010 Château Chaigneau exhibits a very dark garnet core with slight orange reflections on the rim. The nose exudes classic, earth-driven right bank Bordeaux with every sniff and is a natural beauty with little to no makeup. Aromas of redcurrant and blackcurrant lie above earthy notes of dried violets, tobacco, bay leaf, pencil lead, leather and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is dominated by earth, but perfectly poised flavors of red and blackcurrant round out the savory profile of cedar, leather, tobacco and pencil lead that lingers with the taste of Bordeaux terroir long after the last sip. For instant gratification, decant this wine for one hour and serve in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees. This is not a wine to serve on its own. It is practically begging for slow-braised meat, cassoulet or duck confit. This seven-hour leg of lamb has just enough fat to envelop the earth of this terroir-driven Bordeaux and should deliver a sensory experience that will keep your dinner table full. Please serve this wine with food, ideally red meat, for the proper experience.
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-Region
FranceLalande de Pomerol
Soil
Clay, Sand and Gravel
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Mostly Neutral French

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

Others We Love