Tasting Notes
I have 2 bottles left of the 2010 vintage but don't worry - just order the 2014 via the website and I'll email you on receipt of the order to check which vintage(s) you would like
Château de France was built on the foundations of an ancient manor house beneath which the original arched cellars still remain. Now owned by the Thomassin family the Château has 40 hectares of vineyards located on one of the highest slopes in Léognan with deep gravel and a clay-chalk subsoil which make excellent wine growing terroir. The wine producing lands in Graves are some of the oldest in Bordeaux and those closest to the city itself.
As in Médoc to the North, the blend tends to be Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in Péssac-Léognan. For Château de France 2010 though it is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon & 40% Merlot and, as seems to be the case for many Left Bank Bordeaux producers, the blend has changed to Merlot dominant 59% vs 41% Cabernet Sauvignon for the 2014 vintage. The aim is to create a fairly consistent wine year on year and so adjustments have to be made depending on the quality of the vintage.
Cabernet brings the black fruit flavours and the tannins that give this wine its longevity. Merlot is the perfect partner, softening the style of the wine to help with the texture and to tone down the tannins. This wine is what many consider to be a classic Pessac-Léognan red wine, fragrant, full of black fruit flavours with a hint of minerality & silky in texture.
Food Pairing
The producer suggests drinking this wine with any grilled or roasted meats and pears poached in wine with spices
Producer's Notes
"Deep red ruby color. Intense nose of red berries (blackcurrant, blueberry and cherries) and gingerbread. Spice and liquorice on the palate with elegant and well-ripened tannins, refined oak aromas and a smoky note on the finish. Impressive length. This wine can be aged for many years."
Awards
FOR THE 2014 VINTAGE
16.5 points JancisRobinson.com Nov 2016
"Impressive density of fruit here – bold and powerful and multi-layered. This deserves bottle age to develop – the structural balance will last a good few years, and the ripeness is spot on"
87 points Decanter Apr 2015
"High intensity, more so than many this year, with lovely vibrant violet reflections. Cloves, oak edging, charcoal and dark chocolate from the Cabernet-dominated blend. Extraction is clearly ambitious but a little bulky in structure, the tannins a touch solid. Modern in style, should have a good ten years enjoyable drinking. The recent progression at the property is on display and it offers excellent value."
FOR THE 2010 VINTAGE
17 points JancisRobinson.com Nov 2013
"Dark glowing crimson. Savoury, appetising and sleek on the nose. Very seductive and silky with beautifully ripe, seamless fruit and well judged tannins underneath. Sufficient though by no means excessive acidity. Very smart."
88 - 90 points RobertParker.com May 2011
"A potentially outstanding effort from this forgotten estate in Pessac-Leognan, the 2010 De France offers up notes of barbecue smoke, roasted herbs, black currants and sweet black cherries. A sleeper of the vintage, the impressive aromatic display is followed by a surprisingly powerful, concentrated, medium to full-bodied wine that should drink nicely for 15 or more years."
