GG_N49_ESP

BORDEAUX
APPELLATION
label – this is still a reassuring cue for consumers.
After bottling, the wines are either stored in the
temperature-controlled cellars belonging to Maison
Seignouret, or shipped straight to export markets,
including Laos, Vietnam and the United States. This
range of wines, with a retail price tag ranging from
10 to 12 euros, is more suited to quick depletions.
They are very fruity, 95% Merlot offerings that do
have some ageability – Paradisi recently drunk a
2016 that was still very flavourful.
He agrees that Castillon’s reputation is not as
well-established as that of its neighbour Saint-Emilion,
but in its defence points to its lovely hillside
vineyard sites. He enjoys drinking the wines with
fairly hearty dishes, like grilled steak.
Maison Seignouret also produces brands which
draw on the negociant’s expertise in sourcing and
blending wines that can come from several different
producers, and can even change down the years.
The different categories require different marketing
techniques.
VIGNOBLES ALAIN AUBERT:
TERROIR EXPERTISE
THE WINE INVENTORIES
AT MAISON SEIGNOURET
ALAIN AUBERT OF
CHÂTEAU GERMAN
Our next respondent is 79 VA1 and boasts extensive
experience. In his family, wine has been made for a
very long time. He personally started age 14 with his
grandfather, and now owns several chateaux, including
two in the Castillon appellation area.
Château German extends over 35 hectares. The vines
were replanted after the harsh winter of 1956, with
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet-Sauvignon and 10%
Cabernet franc. “The vineyard blocks start just two
metres away from the Saint-Emilion appellation
area. The boundaries are political, religious even”,
says Alain Aubert. “In the West is Catholic country,
where place names favour the saints (Saint-Emilion,
Lussac-St-Emilion, St-Georges-Saint-Emilion…);
and in the East, is Protestant territory. Another
differentiating factor is the shape of the dovecots,
which are square in the West, and round in the East.
It’s little surprise that Castillon was not incorporated
into the Saint-Emilion satellite appellations!
But in this area, it is difficult to tell the wines apart”.
88 AUTUMN 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE