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BORDEAUX<br />
DISCOVERY<br />
PATRICE BELLY DURING THE HARVEST SEASON AT<br />
CHÂTEAU TOUR BEL AIR<br />
Château Tour Bel Air. “We make personalised wines<br />
that are less standardised than those of certain<br />
colleagues who make good wine but perhaps shy<br />
away from taking as many initiatives”. This mantra<br />
is one shared by many of the estates.<br />
CHÂTEAU TOUR BEL AIR:<br />
SUPPLENESS AND TANNINS<br />
HARVESTING AT CHÂTEAU TOUR BEL AIR<br />
Six kilometres from the Gironde estuary and the<br />
legendary appellations of Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac,<br />
Château Tour Bel Air has established itself as a benchmark<br />
for Médoc Crus Artisans. Its 7.5 hectares of<br />
vines are distributed over 5 closely located blocks,<br />
the oldest of which is 50 years old and the youngest<br />
10. Two thirds of the vineyards are situated in clayey<br />
gravel areas, where vines thrive, and one third in sandy<br />
soil with less gravel, on a layer of compact, shallow<br />
clay, which is also conducive to quality. Agricultural<br />
engineer Patrice Belly skilfully produces wines like<br />
his Prestige label. Made from a selection of the finest<br />
vineyard blocks on the estate, it is seductively elegant<br />
with balanced suppleness and tannins. “My wines<br />
reflect my personality and from one year to the next,<br />
they have a family resemblance”, he stresses. “Due to<br />
the size of the estate, I know my vineyard blocks like<br />
the back of my hand. In each one, I identify the best<br />
quality rows of vines. Everything we do to promote<br />
quality, from work in the vineyard to the winery is<br />
done by two employees and myself. The goal is to<br />
produce wines that are quite supple, often rounder<br />
than the norm within the appellation and above all<br />
not wood-dominant”.<br />
CHÂTEAU HAUT COULOUMEY:<br />
MERLOT STEALS THE SHOW<br />
Sometimes reputations can be established within a<br />
short space of time. The impressive story of Château<br />
Haut Couloumey began in Lesparre-Médoc in 1998.<br />
As a young graduate, Pascal Sallenave decided to<br />
found his own winery after gaining experience on a<br />
Médoc estate. After planting vines, he produced his<br />
first vintages in a co-operative winery. Then, keen<br />
100 WINTER 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE <strong>FR</strong>ENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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