Clos La Madeleine
Big Things Come from Small Parcels in Clos La Madeleine
On the outskirts of the Saint – Emillion appellation in Aquitaine France is a small village on the La Magdelaine limestone slopes where you will find a Bordeaux wine estate, Clos La Madeleine.
The wines from Saint Emillion appellation were first sold as La Magdeleine and the first owners of the vineyards were the property of Chatonnet Crepin who sold the estate to a Belgian wine merchant in 1898.
The History
The wines from Saint Emillion appellation were first sold as La Magdeleine and the first owners of the vineyards were the property of Chatonnet Crepin who sold the estate to a Belgian wine merchant in 1898.
The estate was resold in 1911 to Gachassin Lafite family who were also Belgian wine merchants.
Alongside a few other members the Gachassin family joined forces and formed a company to manage the estate in 1929.
But some of the members sold their shares and Charles Pistouley had the majority which he handed down to his heirs whom sold the property in 1992.
The new owners expanded their vineyards by buying property from their neighbours and also improved the chateau by building a new vat house and barrel ageing cellars which was constructed in their limestone quarries, making it an authentic cellar.
The Vineyards
The chateau is situated next to the vineyards which share a limestone and clay terroir and the vineyards consist of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc.
Grapes are handpicked and then placed into crates; taken to the sorting table done manually to root out all of the bad berries and then taken to a vibrating table for further sorting before it is fermented.
The wines are fermented in stainless steel and oak tanks with malolactic fermentation in oak casks.
The wine is aged on its lees for 9 months and then aged in 100% new French oak barrels for a further 18 months.
The estate is small and is about 2.29 hectares which strengthened their position, but they do not mass produce their wines and have an annual production of 700 cases.
The vineyards cover 24 hectares of vines spread out through the land and 20% of the vines are 45 years old, 55% are 30 to 45 years and the youngest vines take up 25% of the vineyards.
Their location is a privileged one as it is protected from the north winds whilst getting sunshine and with the vineyards being small enough to manage, harvesting and managing of vines and grapes is an easier task for most.
It is a beautiful location with the underground cellar, ancient cave dwellings, terraces and rocks in a stepped configuration between the vineyards.
The vines are cultivated traditionally with grass placed in between the rows of vines to prevent erosion.
This estate became the pilot estate for eco-friendly farming with managed control of pesticides and the elimination of chemical treatments and is still the example vineyard that people can learn from today.
The Wines from Ancient Quarry
2014 Clos La Madeleine is a sweet polished wine with aromas of vanilla, coffee, liquorice and cherry ending on a red cherry and liquorice note
2008 Clos La Madeleine has the aromas of liquorice, black fruit, mineral and plum with an end note of ripe black raspberries
2012 Clos La Madeleine has the aromas of plum, vanilla and earth with a sweet, fresh, round finish
2009 Clos La Madeleine is a fleshy wine that stems from the vineyards planted on limestone soil with aromas of dark berries and minerals consisting of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc.
Visit Clos La Madeleine
Small villages can often be surprising and their production levels, although small should never be underestimated as for all farmers and lovers of wine.
There is so much information that can be gathered with the various and unique methods of farming that brings us the joys and the delectable tastes that we appreciate on the table.
Clos La Madeleine is no different and it is a smaller vineyard, but it certainly does have it the knowledge and the proof that it belongs in the Saint – Emillion appellation among the much larger vineyards but it is in the taste test that you can be sure to acknowledge their hard work and meticulous methods alongside the help of Hubert de Bouard who consults for the estate.
It is a beautiful and scenic place to visit and has received over 3000 visitors with an interest in the eco-friendly farming techniques.
A guided tour will explain the history of the estate and how they operate the vineyards.
You will also be taken to the cellar where you will discover how the vinification process works followed by a wine tasting.
Tours and Events
Read more about events.
Contact Information
Clos La Madeleine
Website: http://www.clos-la-madeleine.com/
Email: http://www.clos-la-madeleine.com/joomla-fr/client
Phone: +33 5 57 84 48 56
Find Clos La Madeleine on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Google+.
Address
Clos La Madeleine
La Madeleine
Saint-Émilion Bordeux, France
Michael Bredahl
Wine Writer
Michael is an online enthusiast, with a lot of knowledge about online marketing. Traveling around the world to hunt for the perfect wine. Latest on Sicily, where Etna has a huge impact on the taste, which is strong with a bitter aftertaste for the youngest wines, but older wines are fantastic. Drinking wine, and writing about them, are one the passions. Remember to drink responsibly 🙂
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