Chateau Soutard St Emilion Grand Cru

Description

Chateau Soutard is located in the northern extreme of Saint Emilion’s limestone plateau, where around 65% Merlot is grown with a good proportion of Cabernet Franc (35%) and a tiny parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 27ha estate, which dates back to 1762, has been owned and run by the des Ligneris family since 1836. However it has recently been sold to the owners of the neighbouring Chateau Larmande. Surpisingly Robert Parker says that Chateau Soutard is “One of Saint-Emilion’s best-kept secrets and among the most traditionally made – rivalled only by Ausone in potential longevity”. Surprising because Francois des Ligneris has been one of Parker’s fiercest critics. Soutard’s wine is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. The grapes are hand-harvested and vinified separately according to variety, age of the vines and the part of the vineyard. The wine is then matured in oak barrels (33% new), fined using egg whites and then bottled by natural gravity. It is never filtered. Chateau Soutard’s wines are full-bodied, dense and powerful with a great potential for ageing.