Château de la Vieille Tour (Vignobles Boissonneau)

Village:
St. Michel de Lapujade
Appellation:
32ha
Entre Deux Mers
Growers:
Christian Boissonneau
Philippe Boissonneau
Website:
https://boissonneau.fr/

This property is situated outside the village of St. Michel de Lapujade which lies at the southern extreme of the Entre Deux Mers region. Lapujade translates as the hillside and the vineyard is a bucolic setting of rolling hills with soils of chalky clay and boulbenes (an old and fragile decarbonized chalky clay). The Boissonneau family has owned the property since 1839. Since 2007 the vineyard has been farmed organically and the domaine is in transition to being certified organic in 2011.

Bordeaux Superieur

The red wine is a blend of 40% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc. It undergoes a long fermentation during which the juice is regularly pumped over the cap. A period of extended maceration follows with the exact amount of time depending on the vintage. The wine remains in tank for 12 to 18 months receiving three rackings and is fined and filtered before bottling.

Bordeaux Blanc

The white wine is made from a blend of 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Gris, 35% Semillon and 10% Muscadelle. The sauvignons and muscadelle undergo a maceration pelliculaire or contact with the skins. The different varieties are vinified separately and all fermentations are done in stainless steel vats at cool temperatures. The wines are aged sur lie until blending and bottling. Although the art of blending is typically associated with red Bordeaux, this wine is a lovely example of its value in the production of white Bordeaux.

Region: Bordeaux

The city of Bordeaux and its surrounding viticultural area are located in southwest France, in the Gironde. The area is formed around two great rivers; the Garonne which flows from the Pyrénées and the Dordogne which flows from the Massif Central. The rivers meet just north of the city of Bordeaux and flow into the Gironde estuary which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The regulating influence of the ocean and rivers, along with the temperate climate of mild winters and warm falls, have an important and beneficial effect on the vineyards...

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As the city of Bordeaux evolved into an important port and center of trade in the eighteenth century, its political importance grew, as did the reputation of its wines. The Bordeaux merchants, who had for centuries dealt with wines from “up river” were encouraged at this time to leave behind the wines from the other southwest appellations in favor of the local wines that were given special “fast-track” privileges. Today, a few centuries later, the Bordeaux vineyards and their reputation have developed significantly. Presently, there are 53 different Bordeaux appellations comprising approximately 275,000 acres of appellation controlée vineyards. This scale of activity insures that one can never know Bordeaux, but rather, continue to discover it.

We have found Bordeaux to be an area that far exceeds its conventional association with classification systems and the relatively few “grand chateaux”. As in other regions of France, our portfolio focuses on small family estates located throughout the many Bordeaux appellations. Beyond the circles of merchants, negociants and journalists that often define Bordeaux; we have found independent vignerons working on a small scale whose deep commitment and sensitivity to their land and work results in the production of beautifully rich and diverse wines. The Bordeaux winemaker now works with centuries old viticultural traditions which are being interpreted through a lens of modern technology and a global exchange of ideas.