Where good grapes come first
An example of easier said than done, Château Peyrabon Wines begin with a simple pHilosophy: Good Wines cannot be achieved without harvesting good grapes. And since 1998, Patrick Bernard has invested more than 2 million euros in the property for that expressed purpose.
Nestled on the left bank of the Gironde, just north of Bordeaux, Château Peyrabon is derived from 50 hectares located in the Haut-Médoc appellation and eight hectares in the Pauillac appellation. As in most of the local vineyards, cabernet sauvignon is the dominant grape. The estate produces three award-winning wines: Château Peyrabon AOC Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois; Château La Fleur Peyrabon AOC Pauillac, Cru Bourgeois; and Château Pierbone AOC Haut-Médoc.
Over the course of history, the greatest vineyards have proved time and again how they can produce tremendous wine whatever the conditions. In the case of Château Peyrabon, the estate dates back to 1766. It has changed hands 20 times, its vineyard destroyed by frost in 1956 and subsequently rebuilt. The oenologist of the property is Eric Boissenot— who, incidentally, is the oenologist advisor for all the Premiers Crus Classés of Bordeaux.
In 1998, the vineyard was purchased by Patrick Bernard, the general manager of Millesima, Europe’s leading mail order wine company. He immediately began to modernize the property. In the vineyards, that has included drainage of almost all the plots, land preservation techniques, and the renewal of 15 hectares of vines. In the winery, thermoregulated tanks have been installed and the barrel cellar is now temperature controlled.
Château Peyrabon has garnered recent attention for its 2010 Grand Vin, a dark purple, dense, and chewy wine that exhibits plenty of ripe cabernet–merlot fruit. It has been touted as an excellent choice to drink now through 2020.
Available at www.millesima-usa.com, $22
Importer: Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd., 212.255.0674
