Saint-Émilion Wineries Sizzling With Tactical Changes

The little town of Saint-Émilion may charm you, but the surrounding green hills are truly seductive. Unlike Bordeaux’s Médoc region—flat as a pancake with earth so tough ‘you couldn’t grow potatoes,’ as a wine consultant said—the rolling hills of Saint-Émilion can be as mistily charming as patches of Ireland. This quiet rural segment of southwest France includes dapper dressed locals–mostly easygoing and unusually generous with hospitality.

And the wine remains a major draw.

Whether I travel to Tuscany, Stellenbosch, Napa, the Colchagua Valley or Rioja–it is the wines of this Saint-Émilion region (including its satellite appellations and adjacent Pomerol) that remain a benchmark for tasting. The reason is simple. Overall, the quality of wines from this region remains consistent and elevated. Think juicy, elegant and pleasingly round. Many are also of sterling value.

About two-thirds of this region’s land–or 20 square miles (50 square kilometers)–are planted with vines. This represents only one-twentieth of Bordeaux’s grape production, but this remains coveted ‘right-bank’ terrain.

Burgundy is beguilng, the Loire will put peace in your heart, and the craggy hills of Jurançon can slip you into storybook mode. But driving through the wavy green hills surrounding Saint-Emilion sometimes provides a sense of coming home. Here be relaxed folks in a quiet, prim setting.

The selected wineries below produce excellent labels. Each also highlights at least one of the traits of change now subtly (though definitely) blazing through this region. Perhaps it relates to the value of this land, but most of these changes (fortunately) are being intelligently implemented. That may also result from strict legal regulations regarding development.

These trends include: adopting innovative technologies (while also respecting traditions, and the value of family run operations), diversifying products, amplifying organic techniques, expanding regional accommodations and improving ease for visiting wineries. These peaceful acres quietly buzz with winds of dynamic change.

Just north of Saint-Émilion and north of Pomerol is Lalande de Pomerol, a region that has been producing wine since the 12th century. This was also a medieval hospitality hub for both crusaders and pilgrims.

Château La Fleur de Boüard, located in the village of Néac, is another estate established by Hubert de Boüard de Laforest. Recent renovations include tanks that hang from the ceiling—designed by de Boüard—which can empty juice in seven minutes, as opposed to an otherwise 40 minutes of pumping. Voila! Gratitude for gravity. This winery also includes a newly renovated three-bedroom guest house located less than five miles (8 kilometers) from the town of Saint-Émilion.

Design innovations and the provision of quiet but high quality accommodations (which received their first travel/hospitality award earlier this month) highlight an emphasis on maintaining traditional winemaking techniques, yet upgrading facilities to be on a par with the best international wineries.

Wines listed below from this winer château score (subjectively) from 94 to 96 points on a 100-point scale.

Overall value for some of the wines is scored using a proprietary algorithm.

Château La Fleur de Boüard. La Fleur de Boüard. 2016. [Good Value ♫]

Blueberries and red cherries on the nose. This includes classical tastes from this region and is a hefty but elegant beauty to be paired with entrecôte steak. Amazing length.

Château La Fleur de Boüard. La Fleur de Boüard. 2015. [Good Value ♫]

An 82/14/4 blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines averaging 25 years old. Aged up to 24 months in French oak. According to Coralie de Boüard, 2015 includes more power, and 2016 more elegance. Beautiful dark fruit (‘this region is making sexy wines,’ she says–too true). You can smell a smack of sunshine and energy in this wine, which has a hit of power and ample seduction.

Château La Fleur de Boüard. La Fleur de Boüard. 2011. [Good Value ♫]

An 85/7/8 blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon aged up to two years in French oak, this wine is unfined and unfiltered. It has juicy aromas of licorice and minestrone and includes tastes of prunes and oranges.

Château La Fleur de Boüard. Le Plus. Cuvée Simon. 2016.

Only 3,000 bottles of this 100% old vine Merlot wine were produced (and none were produced in 2017 due to the challenging regional conditions that year). Pure seduction here—mint, oranges, black currants and eucalyptus on the nose and menthol in the mouth, unusually so for a 100% Merlot.

Château La Fleur de Boüard. Le Plus. 2015.

This Lalande de Pomerol is made from Merlot vines with an average age of 60 years and was aged for 33 months in new French oak. No fining or filtering. Ample cherries, fruit, cedar and the whiff of a forest on the nose. In the mouth this includes tastes of menthol and even salt.

Château La Fleur de Boüard. Le Plus Cuvée Oscar. 2011.

This 100% Merlot is aged 30 months in new oak and made from 60-year-old vines growing over a gravel mound with 20% clay. Aromas of licorice, menthol, raspberries and smoke, and the juicy taste includes oranges and almonds. Quiet, but beautiful.

Of a dozen appellations in this region, Montagne Saint-Émilion is one of four ‘satellite appellations’ just north of Saint-Émilion (the other three having prefixes of Saint-Georges, Puisseguin and Lussac) which may include names of their village on wine labels.

Owner and winemaker Coralie de Boüard grew up literally close to wine. She once lived in what had been her great-grandmother’s bedroom—adjacent to a barrel room. After working in international trade with Seagram in New York she returned to study oenology in Bordeaux. She worked at with her family’s Château Angélus for four years before purchasing her own winery in 2016. Some of her wines are of superlative value; all are extremely well made.

Coralie is meticulous, precise and practical; she also exudes that signature relaxed Saint-Émilion vibe. As she said:

“Like life, with wine you take your time. Then you appreciate it more.”

Clos de Boüard testifies to the serious dedication of family ties within this region: Coralie is part of a reputable family that has been producing wines here for eight generations. Her winery expands the family’s geographical footprint; it also shouts to the world that in this region clans, not corporations, still rule.

Wines listed below from this winery score between 91 and 94 points on a 100-point scale. It’s obvious that Coralie’s wines verge on busting through to even higher levels.

Château Clos de Boüard. Dame de Boüard. 2016. [Excellent Value ♫♫]

This 60/30/10 Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon blend is aged up to 14 months in 30% new French oak barriques. A beauty on the nose—black currants and cherries. Juicy, crunchy, elegant in the mouth. An ‘immediate pleasure wine,’ according to owner and winemaker Coralie de Boüard. Aged for one year.

Château Clos de Boüard. Dame de Boüard. 2017. [Superlative Value ♫♫♫]

From 100% Merlot grapes grown on 75 acres (30 hectares) within Montagne Saint-Émilion, this includes strong and sweet aromas of black fruits and a taste that includes smoky bacon. Luscious acidity.

Château Clos de Boüard. Clos de Boüard. 2016. [Good Value ♫]

85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for up to two years in 50% new French oak. Treacle, black cherries and licorice aromas, and a textured, dynamic and slightly tannic beauty in the mouth. Beautiful label!

Château Clos de Boüard. Clos de Boüard. 2017. [Good Value ♫]

Made from 40-year-old 100% Merlot vines that grow over argilo-calcaire (clay-limestone) soils. This is aged for up to two years in 50% new French oak. Unlike the blend of 2016, this is made from 100% Merlot and is even fresher and more elegant than that vintage—with licorice acidity in the mouth and a slight taste of tangerines and cloves.

Winemaker Denis Pomarède arrived in at Couvent des Jacobins in 1996 after working with JM Cazes. He’s been responsible for twenty-five vintages here.

“In Medoc I discovered the potential of Petit Verdot. It’s one of the most difficult vines, very rustic if you do not preserve its balance and freshness. It likes sandy clay soils, not dry soils. Petit Verdot from Bordeaux has special aromas, flavors, tannins. You only need five or six percent. We use 10% maximum.”

Denis considers tasting wines at en primeurs week in April as too early, and prefers tasting for the first blending in July. He spoke about their new label—Calicem.

“Calicem is from Latin, meaning I give you the chalice. From a story of monks. We use no pumps with this wine, and maceration is 40 to 45 days to extract tannings. It’s a different style than Jacobin—more sweetness and some salt.”

Their wine will soon be served to first class passengers on Qatar Airways flights.

Couvent des Jacobins emphasizes merging tradition with innovation. After the previous owner recently passed away, the new owner Xavier Jean kept original techniques and labels, but also expanded operations to include a new label that highlights the character of old vines. Working in Asia, he also increased the presence of their wines in that region.

Wines listed below from this winery score from 94 to 97 points on a 100-point scale.

Couvent des Jacobins. Grand Cru Classé. 2015.

This Merlot dominant blend (85%) also includes Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Aromas of green peppers and, as winemaker Pomarède said, ‘toasted cumin.’ After five minutes in the glass more aromas march out. Juicy and textured and slapped by the freshness of Petit Verdot, which constitutes less than 5% of the blend.

Couvent des Jacobins. Grand Cru Classé. 2012.

This 85/15 Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend includes strong bramble aromas and dark fruit in the mouth. Smoky and satisfying.

Couvent des Jacobins. Grand Cru Classé. 2006.

Brandy, orange peels and acorns on the nose. Velvety salty licorice taste. Match this with roasted lamb.

Couvent des Jacobins. Calicem. 2015.

Made from a 2.5-acre (one hectare) plot of 50-year-old vines, this 100% Merlot is aged two years in 500-liter oak and only 2,800 bottles were produced. An energetic wine, but which includes the orange peel and tobacco aromas of an older vintage. Aromas also include acorns and the scent of forest. Round and sweet with a saltiness that winemaker Pomarède says come from pigeage (manually pushing down the grape cap). A very precise wine.

This Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is owned by Pierre and Axelle Courdurié, a French couple who met while they were both working in the U.S. state of Washington in 1994. They took over this winery in 2013. In 1992 it was established as the second ‘garagiste’ winery in Saint-Emilion (which basically means: lean on finances, but flush with quality terroir), after Château Valandraud. Pierre told of their first experiences.

“We decided to go 100% organic right away. In 2013 we had four barrels in production. I was traveling to work in Shanghai and calling Axelle every 10 minutes on FaceTime. When we introduced this at the 2013 en primeurs a famous wine writer/consultant said this was one of the best 10 wines of Bordeaux.”

Sixteen of their vine rows sit over ‘blue clay’—which provides wines with minerality and aromas of mint and licorice. Their vineyards also include Genodics speakers which treat vines to music.

Croix de Labrie highlights the continued respect within this region for dedication to organic, relatively low volume, high-quality production. (Last year nearby Château Angélus announced its own commitment to producing organic wines.)

Wines from this winery listed below deserve scores ranging from 95 to 97 points on a 100-point scale.

Croix de Labrie. Chapelle de Labrie. 2017.

A 90/10 Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend from their San Sulpice plot. A hefty nose with a huge and wide variety of red and black fruit. Sizzling with energy. Black cherries, raspberries, blueberries, prunes and an acidic streak of lime in the mouth. A smoky dark beauty that will age well, but is also ready to drink now.

Croix de Labrie. Croix de Labrie. 2017.

99 plus percent Merlot with the balance of Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich velvety sheen of black fruit on the nose; raisin cake and fudge brownie in the mouth. Satisfying.

Croix de Labrie. Croix de Labrie. 2016.

This 99/1 blend of Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon has powerful and sweet aromas saturated with black cherries. In the mouth this is a toffee bar and a Christmas cake—or Terry’s All Gold chocolates. Even a sliver of creamy meringue. Your eyes will light up.

Croix de Labrie. Croix de Labrie Stella Solare (white). 2017.

A 60/20/20 blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris aged in oak and acacia barrels. The Sauvignon dominates the freshness. Aromas of grapefruit segments and mandarins; a pineapple cocktail in the mouth. A refreshing blast.

Dominique and Florence Decoster purchased this estate in 2011, and work with their son Ludovic and his wife Caroline to oversee the renovation—and daily operations—of facilities producing these Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé wines. The facilities are being rebuilt to make them more visitor friendly, and may share a walkway (and perhaps tastings) with adjacent Château Valandraud. When completed in 2021 this will include facilities for children to explore as well as a tasting room for wine professionals. Caroline described their intent.

“People want to feel comfortable, so we want to create a type of visit for people who know nothing of wine, as well as for families with children. ‘Cru Classé Relaxed.’ People visit classified growths to be impressed, but here we want to do it in a simple and relaxed way. When the family first arrived here everyone was surprised by the warm welcoming of neighbors. Our aim is to welcome visitors in return.

“We have HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certification to provide biodiversity. No fertilizers or insecticides and we put seedlings between rows—such as radishes and clover.”

Château Fleur Cardinale highlights the spreading involvement of several regional wineries in improving their approachability for visitors, as well as ratcheting up ecological ‘sustainability’ (a vague term, but generally favoring energy efficiency, recycling, and the local purchasing of raw materials). In this land where you can often not visit a wine château before phoning the owner for an appointment (when he or she is usually driving a tractor or traipsing through mucky vines), such enhanced focus on service could help disperse visitors away from the overcrowded Saint-Émilion center into the countryside. That would be a bonus for everyone.

Château Fleur Cardinale. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. 2012. (93 points)

A 75/20/5 blend of Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon. Orange rind and blueberries on the nose with a streak of limes and acidity. A hefty taste that includes chestnuts and licorice. After a minute, out eek flavors of boysenberries and bacon. For being Merlot dominant, this is quite a bold wine—so (as recommended by Caroline) decant it for a few hours. After five to ten minutes in the glass, aromas turn sweet and supple and include those of brownies and blackberries. Has the heft of a Barolo with surprises that leak out over time. This is a depth charge!

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