Le Puy - Bordeaux Red 'Barthelemy' 2001

Wine Region: Bordeaux - France

Grape: 85% Merlot,7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting notes:

The robe is garnet red, with hints of ruby in the younger wines and a touch of orange in the older vintages, with a diaphanous onion-skin finesse to the oldest bottles. The nose is fruity, with ripe red fruit aromas dominated by blackcurrant and redcurrant, accented with roasted almond notes and occasional hints of mushrooms and undergrowth. The palate is well-rounded, full-bodied and precise, with velvety tannins paving the way for a finish is long and enjoyably complex. A wine of great finesse, with smooth tannins in its youth but also the potential to age and grow for several decades, revealing the full depth and character of this prestigious terroir. A wine blessed with superb longevity, which will serve as a perfect partner for traditional rustic dishes and delicate, complex cuisine alike. A small miracle of elegance and refinement.

About the Winery:

Owned by the Amoreau family since 1610, Le Puy overlooks the Dordogne valley on the same geological plateau as Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, once called the ‘Plateau of Wonders’. Le Puy was originally built at the beginning of the 17th century and later extended in 1832 by Barthélémy Amoreau. 

There are 35 hectares of vines spread over three plots with soils made of clay, limestone and silica. It’s quite common to find some sharpened flints between the vines as some parts used to be battlefields in medieval times. The soil type varies but is principally a mix of clay, silex and limestone, with very high acidity levels. 

The average age of the vines is 50 years and no synthetic treatments have ever been used at the estate, which is certified biodynamic. Harvest is manual, the grapes are entirely destemmed and the cuvaison is long, continuing for two to four weeks. The “elevage” of the Le Puy wines is done according to the lunar rhythm. The wines are neither fine nor filtered before bottling. Jean-Pierre Amoreau and his son, Pascal, oversee the vineyards and vinification.

 More about Chateau Le Puy here...