QUIZ: Battle of the Terroirs: Burgundy VS Bordeaux

Back to Blaye Rouge 2022

Château Frédignac
Back to Blaye, a superb organic and natural red Bordeaux, has everything to seduce you: it once again reflects the excellence of organic wines produced on Bordeaux soils. You'll first admire the beautiful deep carmine color before perceiving the Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux signature on the nose: black fruits, red fruits, exemplary vinosity, a delicious roundness underpinned by tannins that are still a little rustic due to the wine's youth. Bordeaux, as you know, generally requires waiting, and the fact that the wine is organic and natural doesn't change anything. You will therefore be right if you decide to keep this bottle for a few years, it will benefit from it and acquire velvety and melted. The wine needs to patinate a little in the bottle, but you can enjoy it now and accompany it with red meats, roasts, solid dishes. Obtained from a majority of Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Sauvignon as a minority grape variety (10%), Back to Blaye is categorized as a Vin de France but has nothing to envy its congeners more gratified by their appellation. The harvest is destemmed, the maceration in vat is fifteen days. The aging after pressing and blending is six months in concrete vats. Tip: Take advantage of this vintage's youth by buying several bottles that will age with distinction in your cellar.

Find out more
Château Frédignac, a 100% organic estate (Nature & Progrès), is located in the Blaye-Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation, very close to the small town of Blaye, practically on the banks of the Gironde. Founded in 1918 by Jean-Marie L’Amouller, a Breton sailor who found happiness on the right bank of the estuary — which is called “the River” here — it became a quality wine estate a few years later by absorbing the vineyard of a property with a centuries-old reputation, Château Saugeron. The appellation is best known for its velvety, deep red wines, in which Château Frédignac excels. But the achievements of this wine estate dedicated to respecting the terroir and virtuous agricultural practices do not end there: an organic white is produced, as well as several natural cuvées of various colors, from pet'nat'rosé to still red. The red grape varieties are typical of the appellation—the two Cabernets, Franc and Sauvignon; Merlot, Carménère and Côt (Malbec)—and the whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon) are similar. The clay-limestone soils promote both soil drainage and their beneficial freshness for the vines. Combined with methods deeply respectful of the soil, plants, animals and winemaking, these pedological conditions allow the Château Frédignac team to be proud of its wines: as worthy of their local tradition as they are in keeping with the desire to work as closely as possible with nature.

Volnay Red 2018

Frederic Cossard

The Volnay AOC is perched on the heights of the Côte de Beaune. This wine comes from a steep terroir, facing west-southeast and located between 230 and 280 meters above sea level. The soils are mainly limestone, stony, ferruginous and reddish. The grapes macerate in whole bunches. Aging is approximately one year in barrels. Nose of black cherry and candied fruit.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.

Mercurey Les Vignes Blanches Red 2018,

Frédéric Cossard

Frédéric Cossard has created a superb expression of Mercurey, an emblematic appellation of the Côte Chalonnaise. Les Vignes Blanches 2018, made from Pinot Noir grown on clay-limestone soils, offers an intense and elegant interpretation of this Burgundian terroir. A natural, full-bodied, and ample wine that brilliantly combines power and finesse.

A sunny vintage and gentle vinification

2018 was a generous year in Burgundy, with ideal conditions for perfectly ripe grapes. True to his philosophy of zero-additive vinification, Frédéric Cossard uses whole-bunch maceration, thus preserving all the aromatic purity of the fruit. Aging takes place for one year in a concrete egg, promoting subtle micro-oxygenation and harmonious development of aromas without excessive wood degradation.

A tasting marked by depth and finesse

Les Vignes Blanches 2018 reveals a captivating nose where aromas of morello cherries, ripe black fruits and fine roasted notes. The palate is dense, with a full attack and a beautiful sap that gives it depth. The tannins are present but very fine, offering a beautiful length and a remarkable balance between structure and freshness. Food pairings and tasting moments This Mercurey is a gastronomic wine, perfect for roasted and grilled meats, roast duck, or a beautiful grilled rib-eye steak. It will also be a perfect accompaniment to a beef fillet in a crust or game birds. Served between 16 and 18°C, it can be enjoyed now for its vibrant fruit or aged for a few years to develop more complex notes.

Château Bonnet Eden Red 2021

Les Vignobles Andre Lurton

We first discover a beautiful, deep, vermillion color, a lovely cherry red with some purple highlights that will fade as the wine ages. The nose of this Eden cuvée offers notes of peony and crisp red fruit (cherry, morello cherry) enhanced with a touch of pepper. On the palate, the wine attacks frankly, with plenty of fruit and freshness. The tannic structure is medium, and the tannins are well-integrated. There is a very nice volume on the mid-palate. The olfactory sensation of crisp, juicy cherry is confirmed on the palate. This is a very indulgent, digestible, and very easy-drinking wine, where the fruity notes express themselves freely, with the fullness of the unsulfured wine. It will be appreciated as an aperitif and on any other occasion, but we see it especially at the table, with dishes that are not too sophisticated, dishes of good humor - beautiful grilled red meats, golden duck breasts, country salads: with confit duck gizzards, lentils... The digestibility of wines is a concept that is increasingly close to our hearts; red Bordeaux have long held the torch and we invite you to experience it with this lovely red Entre-Deux-Mers. Château Bonnet cuvée Eden is produced, for the cultivation and vinification, in biocontrol (set of plant protection methods based on the use of natural mechanisms). It is vinified in concrete eggs and classified as Vin de France. No sulfite has been added, either in the vineyard or in the cellar.

To find out more
Lurton is a name that resonates strongly throughout the Bordeaux region: this dynasty of winegrowers, currently represented in France by around ten owners of wine châteaux and a company (Les Vignobles André Lurton) bringing together several estates, has distinguished itself at the head of prestigious properties including several classified growths, from Château-Cheval-Blanc to Château-d'Yquem via Château-Climens... Château Bonnet is the cradle of the Lurton dynasty, planted at the end of the 19th century by the liqueur maker Léonce Récapet, a visionary of viticulture who passed on the virus to most of his descendants. This beautiful estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers has one hundred and twenty hectares of vines. It is traditionally planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, and produces white, rosé and red wines. Under the leadership of its new director Mathilde Bazin de Caix and on selected plots, it has recently taken over the management of biocontrol viticulture and vinification, as well as natural wine without chemical or exogenous inputs added to the vineyard or the cellar. For the moment, this is the only Eden vintage, but we hope to produce others in the near future.

Cuvée O Red 2014

Château Les Graves de Viaud

With this 2014 vintage, Domaine Les Graves de Viaud offers us a still red wine that perfectly embodies the natural elegance of the Côtes de Bourg. Made from biodynamically grown Cabernet Franc, this wine benefits from the Demeter and AB labels, guaranteeing practices that respect the land and the vines, without chemical additives or winemaking artifices. Here, nature expresses itself freely, revealing the authenticity of the Bordeaux terroir.

This exclusive cuvée (1,200 bottles) of Côtes-de-Bourg is composed of 60% Cabernet Franc. The vines grow on gently sloping hillsides with clayey gravel soils. Harvesting is done by hand, destemmed, and not crushed. Carried out in egg-shaped vats, the skin maceration is long: up to three months at a controlled temperature. Fermentation is done using indigenous yeasts, and no sulfur is added at bottling. This wine, as delicate as it is profound, has the distinction of being vegan (no animal products, therefore no egg-based fining). The nose, fresh and spontaneous, offers notes of plum, violet, and peony. The palate is pulpy, crisp, and fresh, seductive: mainly blackcurrant and blackberry. The tannins are silky and melted, yet powerful.

To the eye, this 2014 reveals a deep red color with garnet highlights, a sign of beautiful development. The nose opens generously after decanting, revealing aromas of ripe red fruits, morello cherry and raspberry, subtly enhanced by spicy notes and a vegetal touch typical of Cabernet Franc. On the palate, the attack is supple, giving way to fine and elegant tannins. The balance between freshness and structure is remarkable, with a persistent finish that reveals slightly peppery and mineral nuances.

This wine will pair wonderfully with dishes of character such as duck breast with figs, a gratin of root vegetables or even a platter of mature cheeses. Served between 16 and 18°C, it will reveal all its complexity after decanting.

With its 13.5% alcohol and its aging potential of 5 to 10 years, this 2014 vintage can be enjoyed now for its freshness or waited in the cellar for a deeper expression of its terroir.

Les Combes Rouge 2018

Pierre Naigeon
Les Combes, certified organic by Eurofeuille, is a biodynamic and natural red Burgundy wine made from the Bourgogne-Pinot Noir AOP. The sixty-year-old grapes grow near the commune of Gilly-les-Cîteaux, in the Côte de Nuits region and bordering the Chambolle-Musigny appellation. The aging potential is five to ten years. Serving temperature: between 14 and 16°C.

Vinification
The Les Combes plot from which this organic Burgundy is produced consists of limestone scree on Bresse marl and clayey limestone. The harvest is carried out manually in 6 kg crates to preserve the grapes. A rigorous manual sorting is carried out, followed by traditional vinification with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for ten months in oak barrels, 20% of which are new. Bottled without filtration or fining.

Tasting
Raspberry, red fruits, violet on the nose; the palate brings a note of licorice, notes of truffle, and confirms the raspberry. Les Combes is a generous, generous wine, with a very pleasant sapidity and depth. Pair it with coq au vin prepared with excellent poultry, serve it next to a beautiful platter of charcuterie, or make it the companion of a rib of beef.

Cuvée Mourvèdre Red 2023,

Frédéric Cossard

This cuvée is a vibrant encounter between the power of Mourvèdre and the finesse of Burgundian winemaking. Made from organic grapes from Mont Ventoux, the Cuvée Mourvèdre has a deep color and a captivating nose of pink berries and garrigue. On the palate, it offers a balanced structure between ripe and fine tannins, and complex aromas of red fruits, spices and herbaceous notes.

Vinified in pre-fermentation maceration and aged for 1 year in concrete eggs, this cuvée is the perfect accompaniment to charcuterie, roasted or grilled meats. Enjoy it at 16-18°C, without the need for a carafe, and let it mature over 5 to 10 years.