Saint Emilion Grand Cru Ultimate Case (12 bottles)

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a prestigious red wine appellation in Bordeaux, France, known for its Merlot-based wines which are rich, full-bodied, and complex.  This is THE perfect gift for any Saint Emilion aficionado. 

3 bottles each of four of our amazing Saint Emilion Grand Cru's!

Chateau Saintayme 2018, Saint Emilion Grand Cru

Aromas of blackberries, chocolate, cherries, pine needles and bark follow through to a medium to full body with fine tannins and a juicy, nicely fruity finish. The 9 hectare plot of vineyards are planted almost entirely with Merlot. This wine is a joy and full of supple fruit and thus very quaffable. Not that complex, but hard to fault for sheer fruit.

Château Saintayme is owned and managed by Denis Durantou who, more famously, has brought l'Eglise Clinet to the pinnacle of Pomerol producers with consistently stunning wines, yet you wouldn't know it from his jovial, engaging, down-to-earth attitude.

Denis's 'entry level' wines, that is to say the wines not produced at his flagship Pomerol estate, Chateau L'Eglise Clinet, are always rank amongst our 'best value' buys. Saintayme is made by the same team at L'Eglise though Denis describes 2018 as a 'Révolutionnaire'. It's a big change at the Durantou estates as he has retired from the winemaking team. It's been an extraordinary run with many exceptional wines, but all good things must come to an end.

Chateau Fombrauge 2019, Saint Emilion Grand Cru

The blend of the 2019 vintage is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

The Estate : With origins dating back to the 16th century and its first harvest dating back to 1599, Chateau Fombrauge is one of the oldest estates in Saint Emilion. The magnificent property has a charterhouse dating from the 17th century. Under the leadership of the Dumas de Fombrauge family, Château Fombrauge has become a real model for Bordeaux viticulture. This Bernard Magrez property shines today as one of the most beautiful of Saint-Emilion.

The Vineyard : Located around Saint-Christophe des Bardes, the Château Fombrauge vineyard covers 58 hectares of vines aged 37 years on average. These vines are planted in clay-limestone soils with “molasses du Fronsadais.” The vineyard is cultivated by means of plot maintenance with grassing of the vine rows and plowing.

The Winemaking : The wines of Château Fombrauge are produced through very meticulous plot selection by terroir and grape variety, always with consideration for the age of the vines. The property is equipped with drones, which map the various levels of fruit ripeness. Once manual harvest is complete, the small crates are brought to the winery, where the fruit is sorted on a table by 20 experienced individuals. The grapes are vinified in wooden, stainless steel and concrete tanks of small capacity by means of gravity with pre-fermentation maceration and full manual punch-downs.

The Ageing : 16 months, 40% in new barrels, 60% in barrels of one previous wine.

Chateau de Fonbel 2022

This 16 hectare estate on the St Emilion plain has a sandy, gravelly terroir, but despite the humble situation, Fonbel produces some sensational wines - hardly surprising given that this estate is managed by the father and daughter team of Alain and Pauline Vauthier.

Produced from 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Carmenère, the 2022 offers an attractive bouquet of wild berries and fragrant dark fruits. The palate is packed with vivid, bright blackcurrant, hedgerow fruits and a hint of liquorice. Nicely judged tannins. Fresh and breezy. Very good.

Chateau Yon Figeac 2020 

The 25 hectare St. Emilion vineyard of Chateau Yon-Figeac is planted to 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Yon Figeac has the distinction of being one of the largest vineyards in the Right Bankthat is in one, large single parcel. The terroir is sand, clay, and iron deposits. The vines are old at an average age of 35 years of age.

Once the new owners took over, they began to add some Petit Verdot vines to the vineyard mix and increased the amount of Merlot as well, while decreasing the portion of Cabernet Franc.

To produce the wine of Chateau Yon-Figeac, vinification takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. On average, the wines are aged in 35% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 14 months, depending on the quality and character of the vintage.