Saint-Emilion Wines 2012 Classification

by Paige Donner

[First published on Technorati]

Just released is the new 2012 Saint-Emilion Classification which ranks 82 of the most respected chateaux and wineries of Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux. Four made it into the Premier Grand Cru Classé A rank: Château Angélus, Château Pavie, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone. This rank was awarded based on the wines' exceptional ageing potential and their celebrated reputations. The two newcomers to the A rank for 2012 are, of course, Château Pavie and Angelus.

Different, and innovative, for this 2012 classification is that the whole of the procedure was put under INAO (Institut national des appellations d'origine) supervision alongwith the Ministries of Agriculture and Consumption. Within the INAO a special commission was appointed made up of 7 carefully chosen evaluators who were not from Bordeaux. This commission in turn enlisted the support of the two certifying organizations, Qualisud and Bureau Veritas Certification.

"64 Grands Crus Classés and 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés are awarded their precious status in recognition of the work accomplished by the estates, their consistency in quality and their quest for excellence," stated the Saint-Emilion Wine Council.

This following classification list was was submitted for approval to the National Wines and Brandies Committee of INAO on September 6th, 2012 and was accepted. The Ministries of Agriculture and Consumption must now officialize it.

PREMIERS GRANDS CRUS CLASSES :
(in alphabetical order):
Château Angélus (A), Clos Fourtet,
Château Ausone (A), Château la Gaffelière,
Château Beauséjour (héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse), Château Larcis Ducasse,
Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot, La Mondotte,
Château Bélair-Monange, Château Pavie (A),
Château Canon, Château Pavie Macquin,
Château Canon la Gaffelière, Château Troplong Mondot,
Château Cheval Blanc (A), Château Trottevieille,
Château Figeac,  Château Valandraud

GRANDS CRUS CLASSES :

Château l’Arrosée, Château Fleur Cardinale, Château Monbousquet
Château Balestard la Tonnelle, Château La Fleur Morange, Château Moulin du Cadet,
Château Barde-Haut, Château Fombrauge, Clos de l’Oratoire,
Château Bellefont-Belcier, Château Fonplégade, Château Pavie Decesse,
Château Bellevue, Château Fonroque, Château Peby Faugères,
Château Berliquet, Château Franc Mayne, Château Petit Faurie de Soutard,
Château Cadet-Bon, Château Grand Corbin, Château de Pressac,
Château Capdemourlin, Château Grand Corbin-Despagne, Château le Prieuré,
Château le Chatelet, Château Grand Mayne, Château Quinault l’Enclos,
Château Chauvin, Château les Grandes Murailles, Château Ripeau,
Château Clos de Sarpe, Château Grand-Pontet, Château Rochebelle,
Château la Clotte, Château Guadet, Château Saint-Georges-Cote-Pavie,
Château la Commanderie, Château Haut-Sarpe, Clos Saint-Martin,
Château Corbin, Clos des Jacobins, Château Sansonnet,
Château Côte de Baleau, Couvent des Jacobins, Château la Serre,
Château la Couspaude, Château Jean Faure, Château Soutard,
Château Dassault, Château Laniote, Château Tertre Daugay,
Château Destieux, Château Larmande, Château la Tour Figeac,
Château la Dominique, Château Laroque, Château Villemaurine,
Château Faugères, Château Laroze, Château Yon-Figeac,
Château Faurie de Souchard, Clos la Madeleine,
Château de Ferrand, Château la Marzelle

@LocalFoodAndWine

@Chérie Du Vin ♥

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

By Paige Donner

 Read Complete Article on Bordeaux Food And Wine 

Château Smith Haut Lafitte is one of those wineries in Bordeaux that has its own helipad. Likely, it's one of the only wineries in Bordeaux that has its own helipad, actually. It also has its own weather station and its own cooperage. And, yes, mais oui!, the wine barrels are all made from French Oak.

Château Smith Haut Lafitte's owners, since 20 years, are Mr. and Mrs. Cathiard, a dynamic "Power Couple" who can count Olympic Team competitive skiing, grocery store and sporting goods retail empires and an international advertising executive career as part of their storied pasts. But that was then and wine is now.

Château Smith Haut Lafitte wines are considered one of the top 20 wines of Bordeaux. That is no small feat. Just look at the company they keep. But having reclaimed the historic Graves AOC Bordeaux Château, which, by 1990 had fallen into disrepair, the Cathiards set about doing things their own way. It worked.

To examine just two facets of their innovative approach, let's look at the 2009 vintage, both white and red.

Château Smith Haut Lafitte - 2009 Vintage

Fabien Teitgen, the winemaker, and the Cathiards believe in whole grape fermentation. Grapes are not crushed at this winery. To help achieve this, the 2009 vintage saw two revolutions here: one for de-stemming and the other for grape sorting.

Grape Sorting: they refer to it as Optical Sorting and use a Vistalys Optical Sorting machine. This sensitive machine photographs the fruit and sorts it based on color and shape characteristics. A jet of air eliminates all the detritus and unwanted bits such as debris or under ripe fruit.

Destemming: The second revolution is also grace á a "revolutionary" machine. The destemmer vibrates the grapes which releases them from their stems. No splintering of stems results and only whole grapes, then, are released into the fermentation vats. The Château Smith Haut Lafitte winemaking team is able to use "precision and reproducibility" with these machines as well as keep nothing but whole, perfect grapes for their wines.

2009 Reds are: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc , 1% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot  "The wines are taking on a lovely fleshiness. They are full and silky."

2009 Whites are: 90% Sauvignon blanc, 5% Sauvignon gris, 5% Sémillon "Lovely, ripe, concentrated rich wines just like a fine, sunny day. They have nice acidity that reflects the cool summer nights of 2009."

Dynamic Soil

While the term "bio-dynamic," is not used by Fabien Teitgen,  Château Smith Haut Lafitte's winemaker, there are practices on the vineyard reminiscent of bio-dynamism. For instance:

On a number of vineyard plots, we have applied the same, gradual, empirical approach, to vine protection and developed a system based solely on copper and sulphur (in homeopathic doses) combined with nettle, chestnut, and horsetail tea and herbal concoctions.

This risky step has paid off: the vines are beautiful and healthy. - Fabien Teitgen

Teitgen also credits the use of organic compost - horse manure, vine prunings, pomace - on the 67 hectares of Gunzian gravel terroir with revitalizing it and helping maintain the necessary equilibrium between soil and vine. They use an innovative (not standard) cover crop between the rows of vines which helps revitalize the soil's structure, drainage and dynamics.

So why the helipad? Well, maybe it's for their Rich & Famous friends who have dropped in at the winery, you know, like Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

Stay at the neighboring Les Sources de Caudalie

33650 Bordeaux - Martillac  www.smith-haut-lafitte.com

*LOCAL FOOD AND WINE*

TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE

FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODANDWINE

Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook

 

Posted via email from Local Food And Wine