This is the flagship wine from Jean-Philippe Janoueix' remarkable property in Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion. Made like a Grand Cru using the best of hand-made techniques, this wine expresses the rarefied terroir that its Château occupies and never obscures the fruit characteristics with too much oak, rather, allowing the structure to be supported in an over-arching richness, balanced with tannins, acid and a wonderfully generous mouthfeel.
91 Points, James Suckling, "Rich, dark berries and plums on the nose, in an attractive, fresh mode. The palate has a very focussed, fresh and linear feel. Good depth. Drink or hold."
The wine comes from a 19-hectare, south-facing vineyard that is made up of chalk and clay. Comprised of 84% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, with the average vine-age of 33 years old, they are planted with serious intensity at a rate of up to 6600 plants per hectare.
The winemaking is careful and sensible - the grapes are crushed (gently) and then put straight into vats without pressing. This allows for a better integration of flavours to develop during the fermentation; the ageing is carried out in a wide variety of oak barrels with 50% new and 50% one year old.
It is Saint Émilion, but from outside the Grand Cru parts, in the subzone of Saint-Georges. This gives us, and you, a huge benefit when it comes to the price:quality ratio as the glass ceiling means the even the very best wines from Saint Georges (and Jean-Philippe makes them!) are limited to about forty quid or so. It's unfair on him but superb news for fans of really good wine. Situated at the north of Saint Émilion, to the east of Pomerol and just south of Lalande de Pomerol, Saint-Georges has really very smart neighbours and shares many of the local qualities. It is something of a secret, with only 190 hectares for the entire appellation, shared among only 20 producers. Saint-Georges Saint-Emilion is, geologically and geographically speaking, right next to the most fa