Glaude Danivet, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2020 (14%)
POA £ Private Cellar
Despite its warmth, 2020 is a Bordeaux vintage where freshness was eminently possible – and freshness is a quality increasingly associated with ambitious winemaking in St-Emilion, as the era of ultra-ripeness draws to a close. This, remember, is the highest in altitude of all Bordeaux’s major sub-regions. Our judges were impressed with this wine’s depth of colour allied to its vibrant, zesty yet sweetly ripe blackcurrant and plum scents. On the palate, it is deep, concentrated, lively and dramatic in style, with pithy acidity bringing as much structure to the wine as its relatively gentle and accessible tannins. It’s still young, but a few years in the cellar will see the wine begin to round out as the blackcurrant and plum soften and ease. The oak integration is skilfully managed, too, in this excitingly pure St-Emilion.
This wraps up a wonderful double for the De Schepper family, which also won a Best in Show for its Le Créateur from Château Haut-Breton
Larigaudière in Margaux (see above). Replicating that Left Bank success is a wine whose origins lie on Bordeaux’s opposing bank, specifically 5ha of vineyards planted on St-Emilion’s limestone plateau, which have been tended to by the De Scheppers since 1996.
‘Our vineyard is situated in a combe [valley] with varying exposures and soils,’ says Hélène De Schepper. ‘This means we can produce many different wines and through the blend can offer something different to many in the region.’
Merlot, naturally, leads the way with 80% of the blend, completed by 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘Merlot grows perfectly on our limestone soils. Rising temperatures mean that every year it becomes harder to produce Merlot with moderate alcohol, but our vineyard slopes are ideally oriented north-northeast and suffer less from the heat. They are also less vulnerable to frost, because they are situated at one of the highest points of the appellation.
This is what we mean by exceptional terroir!’