The Magnificence of Bordeaux: Premier Club (August 2022)

Featured Premier Club Wines:

2018 La Croix de Carbonnieux | Pessac-Leognan Blanc | Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France

Château Carbonnieux is one of the oldest and largest wine estates in the Bordeaux region. Its history extends over almost 8 centuries and its vineyard over a hundred hectares. The whole of this 4-generation family vineyard is located around the castle at the top of a superb gravel hill. All the wines produced depend on the Pessac-Léognan AOP. The vines cultivated in a sustainable and eco-responsible agriculture are devoted to exclusively producing red and dry white wines, both of which are qualified as Grands Crus Classés de Graves.

Château Carbonnieux is located in Léognan in the heart of Pessac-Léognan AOC (Protected Designation of Origin) which was created in 1987. This designation comes from the Graves region and includes the 10 municipalities of the first south-west belt of the city of Bordeaux (Pessac, Léognan, Cadaujac, Canéjan, Gradignan, Martillac, Mérignac, Saint-Médard-d’Eyrans, Talence and Villenave-d’Ornon). It covers approximately 1,600 hectares (80% red grape, 20% white grape varieties) and encompasses 70 wine producing châteaux including 14 “Crus Classés” (Classified Growths).

In 1953, 14 châteaux from the Graves region were honoured with the title of “Crus Classés” (Classified Growths), either for their white wines or red wines or both. Château Carbonnieux was renowned for its two colours. There are only 6 Châteaux (Bouscaut, Chevalier, Latour-Martillac, Malartic-Lagravière, Olivier and Carbonnieux) among the 9000 wineries from the Bordeaux region that have a classification for both their red and white wines. The 14 “Crus Classés” from the Graves region have been in the Pessac-Léognan AOC since it was created in 1987.

Château Carbonnieux is honored to be among the 134 members of the Union of Bordeaux Grands Crus. This association includes the most prestigious wines from the Bordeaux region. They come under the great appellations (PDO) of Gironde namely, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Pomerol, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis en Médoc, Haut Médoc, Médoc, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac, Saint Estèphe, Sauternes and Barsac. This union is very active and organizes wine tastings throughout the world.

La Croix de Carbonnieux wines are a tribute to the Benedictine monks from the Sainte Croix Abbey in Bordeaux who owned the property in the 13th and 18th centuries. The monks, great wine-makers gave Carbonnieux its international reputation and a push towards modernity. Their emblem, the “S” around the Sainte Croix, punctuates the Château landscape in various places and seals on our bottles the trace of their passing in the long history of the estate.

Crafted from selections of Château Carbonnieux Cru Classé, the red and white wines from La Croix de Carbonnieux are very appreciated second wines made with all the care devoted to a grand cru.

This wine has a pale yellow colour typical of our varieties and a freshness subtly impregnated with aromas of exotic fruits and grapefruit. These wines benefit greatly from the wonderful minerality characteristic of Carbonnieux and the Pessac-Léognan soil. The white Croix de Carbonnieux is a wine for Epicureans.

Lovely if served as an aperitif, or paired with fish, seafood, poultry, sushi, goat’s cheese, comté cheese, fruit desserts.

2018 Chateau Saintayme | Saint-Emilion Grand Cru | Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

94 points Jeb Dennuck: "Emerging from the talents of Denis Durantou, the 100% Merlot 2018 Saintayme should be snatched up by readers who want a brilliant, delicious Bordeaux to enjoy over the coming decade. Terrific notes of black cherries, kirsch, flowery incense, cedar wood, and tobacco all define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with silky tannins and a ripe, hedonistic, yet balanced style that's a joy to drink."

Chateau Saintayme is produced by Denis Durantou, of Chateau l'Eglise Clinet in Pomerol, from a small vineyard of 35 year old Merlot vines at Saint Etienne de Lisse at the eastern end of St Emilion.

Chateau L'Eglise Clinet is now amongst the elite of Pomerol producers. Its vineyards were originally part of Chateau Clinet and Chateau Clos l`Eglise respectively, and the property came into being in the 1950s. L'Eglise Clinet has been owned and run by Denis Durantou since 1982. Its 5.5 hectares of vineyards are located on the Pomerol plateau, where the soils are rich in gravel, clay, sand and iron.

Chateau L’Eglise Clinet has a long history in the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux. It dates all the way back to 1803, when Jean Rouchut purchased some of the vineyard land that later became L’Eglise Clinet. The first section of vineyard land is located close to where the winery sits today, adjacent to the cemetery. The next step in the development of the estate came in 1882, when the family purchased vineyard land from the Constant family, the owners of the neighboring property, Domaine de Clinet. That additional land marked the official creation of Clos L’Eglise-Clinet. At that point in time, two families agreed to join together and form a partnership to produce Bordeaux wine together. The families were Mauleon Rouchut of Clos l’Eglise and the Constant family, the owners of what later became Chateau Clinet joined forces. From that point forward, until the 1950’s, their Bordeaux wine was sold under the name Clos L’Eglise-Clinet.

Premier Club $64/month

Two bottles each month for $64.95. Delight in a monthly delivery of artisan wines showcasing boutique producers from California and beyond, hand-selected by the experts at Mission Wines.