Chateau D'Aiguilhe Castillon Cotes De Bordeaux 2017 750 ML

This rich, smoky wine is generous with its fruits and fine tannins. Its fruity character comes through the tannins to give a powerful wine, packed with jammy blackberry flavors.\n \n Producer Information\n Château d'Aiguilhe is a wine estate in the commune of Saint-Philippe-d'Aiguille, in the Côtes de Bordeaux Castillon appellation some 10km (six miles) east of Saint-Emilion, in northern Bordeaux. It is owned by Stephan von Neipperg, a prominent winemaker in the region, best known for running the well-regarded châteaux of Canon La Gaffelière and La Mondotte in Saint-Emilion. For its part, Château d'Aiguilhe has a history dating back to the 1700s, when it was owned by the Leberthon family, but it was not until the late 20th Century that the estate was replanted, renovated, and renamed from La Fleur d'Aiguilhe to its current name by von Neipperg (who acquired the estate in 1998). Château d'Aiguilhe produces a Merlot-dominant Bordeaux blend, a second wine called Seigneurs d'Aiguilhe, and a white Bordeaux wine from Sauvignon Blanc. The grounds span 140 hectares (300 acres) with 90 hectares (220 acres) of vines. These are composed of 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Franc. The vineyard soil is composed of clay-limestone and clay-loam, with vines averaging 28 years old. Vines are planted exclusively on the upper hills of the property, which is located on the highest hill along the Right Bank of the Dordogne. Grapes are handpicked and sorted before and after destemming. The fruit is fermented in oak vats and cement tanks with maceration lasting 28 days. The wine goes through malolactic fermentation in barrel and ages on fine lees in 50 percent new French oak barrels. Production averages 9000 to 10,000 cases annually. Château d'Aiguilhe's second wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks. The estate's white Bordeaux wine is vinified in predominantly stainless steel tanks although 20 percent is aged in French oak barrels (of which around a quarter are new oak) for an average of eight months.