Château de la Cour d’Argent Bordeaux Supérieur 2012
We feel we’ve discovered a lovely and underrated Bordeaux if you were to solely read reviews, because this is a classic example of what we’d expect from a St. Emilion-adjacent vineyard. You get blackberry, dark fruit, earthy, mint on the nose. On the palate it conjures up dark fruits, blackberry, chocolate, vanilla, pepper, mushroom, raspberry all coming through, and the finish was also nice. Really opens up after a short while and the dryness balances with the chocolate and blackberry finish. This wine is 95% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and cabernet-sauvignon and you get all these delicious flavors for only $16.
Rating:
3.6 on Vivino
The estate has been family owned since it was first christened at the end of the 19th Century. Pierre-Henri Descrambe enlarged it and in 1971 the estate was passed on to his grandson, Denis Barraud who clearly shows his love for the vine and today the estate consists of a total 36 hectares (89 acres).
Bordeaux wine from Chateau de la Cour d’Argent, consists of a fine hillock of chalky clay which has much in common with St Emilion on the other side of the Dordogne.
The St Emilion terroir consists of a sandy gravel with very deep gravel and above all, a cool ferriferous subsoil. A parcel of land has been identified and set apart for its particularly high quality, to produce the Cuvée Lynsolence.
Other parcels are also used to provide each their particular character. Some of these, now classed as Bordeaux, were once included under the St Emilion appellation.
Varietals planted In the Saint Emilion appellation:
- 100% Merlot, with vines from 35 to 50 years old.
In the Bordeaux appellation: 35 years old vines. - Merlot 90%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Cabernet-Sauvignon 5
Terroir:
All the Château de la Cour d’Argent vineyards are grassed, this is done to keep the soil in good condition, and well-drained. The soil is rebalanced and improved using organic materials exclusively.
Utilizing the Double Guyot training system ensures that the grapes are never overcrowded. Yield is controlled by the partial removal of shoots during pruning, and by the elimination of shoots which bud low on the vine. Allowing for the green shoots to begin the winemaker then begins deleafing the vines in June and August and thus the bunches are perfectly aerated and can take advantage of the sunlight minimising the risk of disease.
Green harvesting is systematically carried out by removing imperfect or unwanted bunches, those remaining can develop more effortlessly. The first or alcoholic fermentation takes place at relatively low temperatures so as to maintain the aromas.
We recommend you pair this wine with red meats and potatoes dishes. For a little fun maybe open a bottle at your next Taco Tuesday night at home. Cheers!
