Château Bourgneuf Château Bourgneuf

Pomerol, France

Vintage:2017 (Past)

2014 (Past) | 2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2018 (Current) | 2019 (Current)

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Château Bourgneuf Château Bourgneuf 2017
  • WS 93
  • WE 93

Reviews

Wine Spectator 93 Points March 31, 2020, James Molesworth

“Enticing plum puree and cherry pâte de fruit notes are carried by fresh acidity, imparting streamlined energy as this moves through the finish of anise, apple wood and fruitcake flavors. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2037.”

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points March 1, 2020, Roger Voss

“Dark tannins and black fruit come through strongly in this balanced wine. Acidity shines through the firm young structure. The wine's future is good but it will need time. Drink from 2023.”

Overview

Owned by the Vayron family since 1821, this lovely vineyard is situated in the heart of Pomerol’s most prestigious terroirs, with Château Trotanoy as its neighbor. Since 2008, the wine is made by the youngest Vayron to join the family venture, Frédérique, the daughter of current owners Xavier and Dominique.

Formed by a gentle, sloping plot, the west-facing vineyard enjoys ideal sun exposure, thanks to which some of its parcels were spared from the great frost of 1956. 

Situated in one of the warmest parts of Pomerol, Château Bourgneuf produces wines that are deep and dense, layered and complex, with perfectly rounded tannins. The wine’s ripe fruit aromas make it seductive when young, but a few years of cellaring are strongly rewarded.

Winemaking

The merlot and cabernet franc vines, of an average age of 40 years, are planted on gravelly clay enhanced by an iron-rich subsoil. The vineyard is maintained traditionally and conscientiously throughout the year. Vinification takes place in thermo-regulated concrete tanks, and aging is carried out in oak barrels (35% new) for 12-14 months. 

Tasting Notes

Nose of ripe red fruit with slightly toasted evident oak. Very concentrated, powerful, warm palate marked by oak tannins.

Harvest Notes

The winter of 2016-2017 was dry and sunny. The spring was the third warmest since 1900, with the notable exception of a few cold nights the 27th and 28th of April which resulted in frost damage to certain low-lying terroirs.

The summer was marked by persistent dry conditions (annual rainfall was 30% lower than average) and a few heat waves. The clay and gravel soils of Château Bourgneuf, natural hydric regulators, provided a steady water supply to the vines throughout the drought.

Welcome rain in early September rounded out the maturation of the grapes and confirmed the good quality of the vintage. Before harvest, the berries were gorged with sugar yet fresh at the same time, with intense aromas of small black and blue fruit; the thick skins were rich in soft tannins. Harvest took place in ideal conditions.

Technical Information

Varietals: 82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc

Soil Composition: Gravel and clay, iron-rich subsoil

Aging: 12-14 months in French oak barrels (35% new, 65% 1 or 2 year old barrels)