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Girolate |
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Merlot the magician here works
his most fabulous spells – the 10 hectares (approx.
24 acres) of clay and limestone soil here is very similar
to that found on the Saint Emilion plateau (a mere 10 km –
about 6 miles – to the north) and has been planted with
10,000 Merlot grape vines. |
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To bring the very best out of
grapes from this magnificent terroir, the wine-making methods
we use are as gentle on the grapes as possible. Barrels are
the only container we use to store for our wine, as vats and
pumps are harmful to the wine-production process. The result
of our travails simply takes one’s breath away –
unclassifiable wine, a new type of grand cru, with flavours
and textures that are rarely found in Bordeaux wine.
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Chateau Mont Pérat |
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Château de Mont Pérat was mentioned
in the 1864 edition of the famous Feret wine guide and is
one of the jewels in the crown of the Premières Côtes
de Bordeaux appellation area. This vast wine estate was bought
by the Despagne family in 1998, and after five years’
work it is producing wine of rare intensity. |
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Soil studies carried out by
Kees Van Leeuwen has enabled its best parcels to be identified.
The wine-making methods employed here are worthy of the Bordeaux
region’s best crus.
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Château Tour de Mirambeau |
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The ancient “Tour de Mirambeau”
(Mirambeau’s Tower), built amongst vines that dominate
the Dordogne River, gave its name to the family’s oldest
wine estate. This was where Jean-Louis Despagne first built
the reputation of Despagne wines and wine estates. |
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At Mirambeau we pay great attention
to detail in the fields of both vine-growing and wine-making.
The reds and whites produced here – our famous “Passion”
vintages – have all the characteristics of grands crus
and never fail to astonish wine critics. As for our “Sémillon
Noble” sweet white wine – well, that’s one
of our family’s best-kept secrets!
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Château Rauzan Despagne |
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In the 17th Century this wine estate’s
buildings were used as a hunting lodge, before being converted
into a magnificent summer residence by a Bordeaux wine trader.
Nowadays, the vines surrounding the château are just
a fifteen-minute drive from Bordeaux city centre. |
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This wine’s legendary intense
flavours are now absolutely undisputed. Wine from this château
has long been served by airlines, giving it international
fame that may be credited to the clay and silica soil of its
terroir, which ensures that grapes mature slowly and evenly.
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Château Bel Air Perponcher |
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This château has a 15th-Century tower
attached to it, and dominates a tranquil valley beside the
Dordogne River. This estate’s terroir is one of the
most reputed terroirs in the area due to the wine produced
by its vines, which are all located on a plateau above the
valley. |
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The wine produced here is classic
Bordeaux wine, and is sold by several European Wine Clubs
and also in the United States.
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