Chateau Bonalgue 2012, Pomerol

Description

Chateau Bonalgue is a located in the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux.

During the French Revolution, the first reference to vines in the “Graves de Bonalgue” area appeared in local archives. A veteran from Napoleon’s Grand Army, a Captain Rabion, inherited the land and built a handsome residence. The building housed his regimental arms, and the garden was filled with magnificent Lebanese Cedar trees; Chateau Bonalgue was born. The Bourotte family bought the property in 1926. Pierre Bourotte took over the running of the Chateau in 1961, followed by his son Jean-Baptiste in 2005. The vineyard today is in excellent condition, and the property continues to improve and to refine its methods, while always paying tribute to the exceptional terroir of Bonalgue.

The vineyards at Chateau Bonalgue are planted to 90% Merlot, with Cabernet Franc completing the other 10%. It consists of 7.55 hectares of gravel and sandy-clay soils, with a subsoil of gravels and alios – the rich band of iron-ore that so distinguishes the Pomerol terroir. These qualities make this a heat-retaining soil, that means grapes ripen early and evenly, reaching perfect maturity. The vines have an average of 25 years old, and the precise and meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard means they produce quality grapes year after year. Pruning, leaf thinning, debudding, green harvesting… each process is carefully though-out, right up to the picking of grapes into small-sized trays to ensure against crushing or damage.. The final stage before heading to the winery is a hand-sorting in the vines, that takes place bunch by bunch, then berry by berry, ensuring nothing gets missed. The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak.