Saint Emilion Grand Cru Ultimate Case (12 bottles)

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

Chateau Fleur de Lisse 2018, Saint Emilion Grand Cru

Vibrant red berries, blackberry fruit and liquorice spice, underpinned by elegant, fine-grained tannins and a lingering, fresh finish.

Château Fleur de Lisse is located in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse in Saint-Émilion. Owned by the Minvielle family from 1940 to 2015, the Château was acquired in 2015 by the Teycheney family, who have a particular interest in biodynamic farming. The property’s 8.66 hectares of vineyard are currently midway through the organic and biodynamic certification process.

Château Fleur de Lisse is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 49% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vinification is overseen by consultant winemaker Jean Claude Berrouet, who is also the consultant at Château Pétrus. The grapes are harvested by hand, while sorting is done both before and after destemming. Fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled concrete vats for two to four weeks at a temperature between 28 and 30°C. The wine is then aged for 18 months in a combination of concrete vats and 20% new French oak.

Chateau Haut Brisson 2019, Saint Emilion Grand Cru

In 2015, Chateau Haut Brisson made a decision to take to property in a new direction when they made the right decision and stopped producing their reserve wine. All the top grapes are now placed into Chateau Haut Brisson. The amount of new French oak barrels used in the ageing process has been reduced to an average of 30%, adding more freshness and less of an overt oak presence. Both these steps really pushed the wine into a positive direction. 

Peppery nose, liquorice, ripe black fruits and peony scents, sprinkled with fine cocoa notes Black chocolate and cherry aromas, juicy carried by a good acidity. Savory texture, round tannins, wide and concentrated mouth melting into spices. Beautiful length and richness that augurs you a good ageing potential. 

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.