St Emilion french wines - edencroft fine wines

France - Bordeaux - St Emilion

Saint-Emilion is a wine of great tradition, already well known during the Gallo-Roman period. It is a complex appellation with a great diversity of soils, which adds to its mystery and prestige.

Saint-Emilion wines are renowned and enjoyed all around the world, but they are not only great wines, they have always been of paramount importance for the town.

Hard work, draconian regulations and the ability to work together have ensured Saint-Emilion’s prosperity and independence through the centuries. Wine flows in the town’s veins... and in its inhabitants, this is probably a comparison that can be done easily, but here it is close from reality…

The appellation produces a tremendously wide range of wines for the greater delight of consumers everywhere. Each has its own special personality, full of subtle nuances, from the most humble, but nevertheless delicious wines, to the most prestigious growths, which can age for decades.

Young wines have aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry, and blackberry, as well as vanilla and fresh toast. Older wines have a bouquet of leather or venison and generally have a better structure and more power. There are a myriad of aromas in a glass of Saint-Emilion. The wines have a brilliant crimson colour, which deepen with age, and a great deal of generosity on the palate. These are the main qualities of this "nectar of the Gods", but a thousand and one others are to be discovered… while tasting!

2002, Château Petit-Figeac "Grand Cru".

Bin No

PARA/026

Size

75cl

Price

£25.00

The 1.6 hectare estate of Petit-Figeac lies adjacent to the celebrated Premier Grand Cru Classé, Château Figeac and nearby Château Cheval Blanc.

The estate was purchased in 2006 by Château Figeac who recognised the quality of the terroir, and wished to protect the integrity of the Figeac name.

2002, Château Haut-Bernat Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion.

Bin No

EN2894

Size

75cl

Price

£19.50

The grapes that have been carefully sorted in the vineyards are brought to the cellars and undergo
de-stemming. The separation of the grapes from their stems has been done in Bordeaux for a very long time. The tannins extracted from the stems are of lesser quality than those coming from the skins and pips. The grapes are then lightly crushed. The must starts to ferment thanks to the natural yeast present in the vineyard. This important step is constantly supervised and the temperature of the vat is constantly measured. The wine is regularly recycled from the top to the bottom of the vat. The fermentation lasts on the average about five days.

Merlot dominated, soft, yet structured claret from the 'right banks'. The wine has ripe tannins and excellent fruit concentration, yet elegant.

2004, Plaisance Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.

Bin No

EN6321

Size

75cl

Price

£19.50

Deep ruby in the glass with concentrated black fruit and oak aromas. On the palate, the wine is powerful, with classy wood treatment and a wonderfully rich, sensuous structure and a long finish. Watchwords are accessibility, concentration and supple balance.

A concentrated and ripe tannic structure make it perfect for red meat dishes, but it has the suppleness to be enjoyed on its own, or with lighter food.

2004, Chateau Haut Saint Clair "Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion".
Bin No	2105B04	Size	75cl	Price	£29.15
This 2004 is very traditional, coloured and robust, with firm and silky tannins at the same time, a nice concentration in mouth, with the notes of currant, humus and spices.

2005, Château La Tuilerie des Combes "Lussac St. Emilion".

Bin No

EN3855

Size

75cl

Price

£16.50

Henri le Grelle and his son Vincent manage this charming, 7-hectare estate situated 8km from the town of St. Emilion and source grapes from their vineyards in the Montagne and Lussac regions of St. Emilion. The Chateau underwent major refurbishment in 2002, and the investment in both the vineyard and winery has paid enormous dividends.

Grape Varieties: 20% Cabernet Franc and 80% Merlot.

Food Matching Note: Will compliment grilled and roasted red meats, pan fried cutlets and medallions of game and anything utilising a strong, mature cheese.

Tasting Note: Beautifully developed garnet-red in colour. Shows a very ripe nose of concentrated fruits of the forest and a dense palate reminiscent of black cherries and chocolate with pretty notes of liquorice and eucalyptus. The typicaly bordelaise structure is flexible, with soft, rounded tannins that bring a balance and add length to the palate which finishes dry and clean.

Vinification Note: The 7ha of vineyards are located in the commune of Lussac, 8 km from Saint-Emilion, the medieval capital of this region. Under the guidance of new owners, the Count Henri Grelle and his son Vincent, the land under vine is planted in the traditional mix of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Francs. The wine making is traditional, nurturing the wine with the greatest of care until its development. The wine is aged in barrel in one of most modern cellars of the area with its new system of thermoregulation which supports an optimal maturation.

2006, Chateau d'Arcie "St Emilion Grand Cru".

Bin No

EN6319

Size

75cl

Price

£18.65

Château D’Arcie is a tiny estate of seven and a half hectares situated on the sandy plain of St Emilion, which is famed for its ability to produce aromatic and attractive wines with accessible tannins when young. This is mainly Merlot with about a quarter Cabernet Franc and a minimal seasoning of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Grape Varieties: 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc and 73% Merlot.

Food Matching Note: Mid weight claret with the flexibility to partner a wide range of meat and vegetarian dishes.

Tasting Note: Deep ruby red in the glass this shows plums and pencil lead on the nose. Delicious clean and fruity palate, with damsons, black fruit and refreshing hints of pepper and chocolate on the finish. A clean, attractive and modern-style claret, with the added bonus of being accessible when young.

Vinification Note: Grapes are sourced from the Château in the St Emilion plain and brought to the winery where they are crushed, destemmed and vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Following fermentation the wine is stored in new and used barriques for twelve months before bottling and shipping.

2006, Château Haut Pezat "Grand Cru, St. Emilion".

Bin No

EN3002

Size

75cl

Price

£19.75

One of the Grand Cru Châteaux of St. Emilion, Château Haut Pezat consistently makes excellent wines that have all the softness and elegance that one would expect from top wines from this appellation.

Grape Varieties: 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 75% Merlot.

Food Matching Note: Grilled venison steak with ham, provolone and mushroom sauce, grilled sirloin steak with anise basil butter, or lamb chops with coarse-grain mustard.

Tasting Note: Hints of ripe plums and damsons on the nose and on the palate. It is rich and velvety, with soft tannin and a long elegant finish.

Vinification Note: These wines are made traditionally with quite long vatting periods of between 5 and 6 weeks in concrete tanks. Fermentation temperatures are checked by hand and refrigeration equipment enables temperatures to be controlled. The wines are then aged in 2 year old casks (10% of which is renewed yearly).