The Libournais and Fronsadais
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108 FRANCE THE LIBOURNAIS AND FRONSADAIS The right bank of the Dordogne River, known as THE GARAGISTE EFFECT the Libournais district, is red-wine country. In 1979, Jacques Thienpont, owner of Pomerol’s classy Vieux Château Certan, unintentionally created what would become the Dominated by the Merlot grape, the vineyards “vin de garagiste” craze, when he purchased a neighboring plot here produce deep-colored, silky- or velvety-rich of land and created a new wine called Le Pin. With a very low yield, 100 percent Merlot, and 100 percent new oak, the wines of classic quality in the St.-Émilion and decadently rich Le Pin directly challenged Pétrus, less than a mile Pomerol regions, in addition to wines of modest away. It was widely known that Thienpont considered Vieux Château Certan to be at least the equal of Pétrus, and he could quality, but excellent value and character, in the certainly claim it to be historically more famous, but Pétrus “satellite” appellations that surround them. regularly got much the higher price, which dented his pride. So Le Pin was born, and although he did not offer his fledgling wine at the same price as Pétrus, it soon trounced it on the auction IN THE MID-1950S, many Libournais wines were harsh, and market. In 1999, a case of 1982 Le Pin was trading at a massive even the best AOCs did not enjoy the reputation they do today. $19,000, while a case of 1982 Château Pétrus could be snapped Most growers believed that they were cultivating too much up for a “mere” $13,000. By 2003, the Pétrus had traded up to a Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec for their particular terroir and mind-boggling $26,000 and yet Le Pin sold for $44,000. decided that they should plant more vines of Cabernet Franc. A Unfortunately, Jacques Thienpont died in 1985, long before his few growers argued for the introduction of Merlot, which was little experiment yielded such crazy prices. By the late 1980s, allowed by the regulations, because it would give their wines the however, Le Pin’s extraordinary financial success had became so suppleness they desired. Even if they could have agreed on obvious to a number of vignerons in neighboring St.-Emilion that united action, changing the encépagement of an entire district they attempted to replicate it with small plots of land in their own would have been very a very long-term project, as well as being appellation: Jean-Luc Thunevin with Château de Valandraud (first extremely expensive. However, in 1956, frost devastated the vintage 1991), Gérard and Dominique Bécot with Château La vineyards, forcing the Libournais growers into action. With poor, Gomerie (first vintage 1995), Von Neippberg with Château La short crops inevitable for some years to come, prices soared, Mondotte (first vintage 1996), Francis Gaboriaud with Château enabling them to carry out the massive replanting which, L’Hermitage (first vintage 1997), Alain and Françoise Raynaud with ironically, they could not have afforded prior to the crisis. This Château Quinault l’Enclos (first vintage 1997), and Château devastation led to the wholesale cultivation of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which established a completely different style THE LIBOURNAIS DISTRICT See also p63 of wines, providing the catalyst for the spectacular postwar This great red-wine area includes St.-Émilion, Pomerol, and their satellites. In success of St.-Émilion and Pomerol. the Libournais district, the Merlot grape reigns supreme, its succulent fruit essential to the local style. St-Médard-de- n N89 D10 no N89 Guizières va Sa St-Emilion Da 49 y 89 e A D123 See also p111 D910 D674 Pa Pomerol 22 lais D137 D21 61 See also p120 Vérac Galgon St-Denis-de-Pile D22 D121 Fronsac D138 D121 Petit Palais G D246 67 Puynormand a 52 la Côtes-Cahon-Fronsac 81 D10 n I le L d s avie les Artigues D18 Fe uillant Lalande-de-Pomerol Villegouge D22 N89 82 Néac Lugon-et-Ile Lalande 54 Tayac du-Carney les Billaux Lussac D32 de Pomerol Montagne-St- 29 D17 D 75 Villefranche- Emilion ord de-Lonchat ogne D670 Néac D21 St-Georges- D122 76 101 110 D910 Pomerol D21E St-Emilion Montagne 57 Fronsac 73 Puisseguin Lussac-St-Emilion Izon St-Georges D9 D10 D242 LIBOURNE B Puisseguin- ar ba St-Philippe 109 St-Emilion nne d'Aiguille A89 D243 Bordeaux-Côtes- Parsac de-Francs 75 89 D243 D 15 Vayres 17 Côtes-de-Castillon 92 31 St-Emilio ire Lido N89 D670 Height above N89 Arveyres 13 sea level (metres) D21 s a St-Sulpice- st de-Faleyrens 12 Ge St-Magne 105 0 1 2 3 miles D19 Montcaret Génissac 8 Lamothe- St-Germain- 6 Montravel 0 2 4 km du-Puch ne D20 63 on od CASTILLON-LA- e an ir C o BATAILLE D9 D936 l e D11 u d D15 o S y ne e g t do s or E D Branne Dordogne Baron Ste-Terre D17 D936 D130 R 88 D936 om D en 19 do l 18 D D130 BORDEAUX - THE LIBOURNAIS AND FRONSADAIS 109 Teyssier with Le Dôme (first vintage 1998). But it was Le Pin’s image of the greatest St.-Émilion châteaux, but through the cellar, which is truly a garage under a battered farmhouse, that historical use of this famous name these areas won the right to inspired French wine writer Michel Bettane to coin the phrase attach the name of St.-Émilion to theirs. The tiny Sables area was “vins de garage.” It is interesting how this new breed of wines has later reclaimed by the St.-Émilion AOC, and in 1972 a new polarized critics into opposite camps, as if there is something appellation, Montagne-St.-Émilion, was created. This appellation, intrinsically right or wrong with producing wine on a small scale. which covered a large region, could be adopted by growers who Because that is all it is, and the garagistes are popping up in the had previously used either Parsac-St.-Émilion AOC or St.-Georges- Graves, the Médoc, and well beyond the borders of Bordeaux. St.-Émilion AOC, but the executive order that created Montagne- While some consumers (all wealthy) are happy to pay any price St.-Émilion AOC in 1972 did not disband either of these smaller demanded for these wines, others seem to take offense at the appellations. very mention of the word garagiste. Both positions are bizarre. So, a situation arose in which growers could choose between Besides, where do you draw the line between a vin de garage two very similar AOCs. In 1993, however, Parsac-St.-Émilion was and an honest lieu-dit wine? Oh dear Jacques and Michel: what finally disbanded, since it was noticed that virtually all the have you started? producers of Parsac-St.-Émilion were not using the original AOC but opting for Montagne-St.-Émilion AOC. Many growers in St.- THE SATELLITE APPELLATIONS OF ST.-ÉMILION Georges-St.-Émilion, however, were still using the original AND POMEROL appellation, and so disbanding this would not have been so The wines of Lussac, Montagne, Parsac, Puisseguin, Sables, and simple. All five combined St.-Émilion AOCs would in fact benefit St.-Georges were once sold as St.-Émilion, but in 1936 these outer from merging, since they all produce wines of essentially similar areas were given their own AOCs. This was done to protect the nature, under identical regulations. THE GENERIC APPELLATIONS OF THE LIBOURNAIS AND FRONSADAIS BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR CÔTES-CANON- CÔTES-DE-FRANCS AOC FRONSAC AOC See Bordeaux-Côtes-de-Francs AOC Fronsac AOC and Côtes-Canon-Fronsac AOC will no doubt be the next wines to be “discovered” by budget-minded Bordeaux BORDEAUX- drinkers. The best of these wines are Côtes- Canon-Fronsac AOC, sometimes called Canon- CÔTES-DE-FRANCS AOC Fronsac AOC. With lower yields and stricter This forgotten area’s vineyards are contiguous selection, these wines could equal all but the with those of Puisseguin-St.-Émilion and Lussac- best of St.-Émilion and Pomerol. St.-Émilion, and have a very similar clay- RED Full-bodied, deep-colored, rich, and limestone over limestone and iron-pan soil. The vigorous wines with dense fruit, fine spicy Bordeaux Supérieur version of these wines character, plenty of finesse, and good length. differs only in its higher alcohol level. gCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, RED These are essentially robust, rustic, full- Malbec, Merlot bodied wines that are softened by their high k7–20 years Merlot content. gCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot CÔTES-DE-CASTILLON AOC k5–10 years This is an attractive hilly area squeezed between gCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, WHITE Little-seen dry, semisweet, and sweet St.-Émilion, the Dordogne River, and the Malbec, Merlot wines of clean, fruity character. Dordogne département. Its wine has long been k6–15 years gSauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle appreciated for quality, consistency, and value. k5–10 years These wines used to be sold as Bordeaux and LALANDE-DE- Bordeaux Supérieur wine until the 1989 vintage, POMEROL AOC when Côtes-de-Castillon received its own AOC This good-value appellation covers the BORDEAUX-CÔTES-DE- status. communes of Lalande-de-Pomerol and Néac. No FRANCS LIQUOREUX AOC RED Firm, full-bodied, fine-colored wines with matter how good they are, even the best are dense fruit and finesse. but pale reflections of classic Pomerol. This style of Bordeaux-Côtes-de-Francs wine gCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, RED Firm, meaty Merlots with lots of character must by law be naturally sweet and made from Carmenère, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot but without Pomerol’s texture and richness.