The Tasting Panel magazine

that emphasize the freshness and complexity (marked by black fruit and brown spices) that are hallmarks of the cool-climate region. Pierre Dufourq (left) and Rodolphe Desbois at Château Haut Sarpe. Janoueix négociant family, they're testing consumer-friendly programs such as "B-Winemaker," a hands-on blending workshop. Developed by young winemakers Rodolphe Desbois and Pierre Dufourq, the two-and-a- half-hour program includes a tour and guests depart with a wine they have blended and bottled. "We're breaking away from a rigid system of distribu- tion with programs that cater to wine enthusiasts and support direct-to- consumer sales," says Dufourq. Engaging consumers is particularly important for producers like Château St. Georges, a dramatic hilltop estate in Montagne that was redesigned in the 18th century by Victor Louis, architect of by Bordeaux's Grand Théâtre. St. George sells up to 80 percent of its production directly to domestic consumers with the remain- der to direct-import retailers in the U.S. and Northern Europe. Director Pascal Apearé is adding a cooking school and related programs that will be marketed to the estate's 40,000 clients. Quality Is a Priority Large or small, via négociant or sold direct, Right Bank producers continue to make quality a priority. With the purchase and renovation of Château Belair-Monnage in 2008, Ets Jean- Pierre Moueix's holdings now stand at 11 estates concentrated in northern Pomerol and the southeastern corner of Saint-Émilion. A 2010 barrel sample showed complex, spicy tannins and more concentrated black fruit than in previous vintages. Château Valandraud winemaker Murielle Andraud is credited, with her husband Jean-Luc Thunevin, for the garagiste movement in Saint-Émilion. corner to spice, they are demonstrating the terroir." "There may be a broader range of wine styles being made, but there is still no better place in the world for Merlot," confirms winegrower Françoise Lannoye whose Lannoye Estates in Puisseguin produces wines 90 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 "Tomorrow, Saint-Émilion will change," Meslin said. "I don't know if it will be for the better, but we will adapt." For Deborah Parker Wong's tasting notes on selected wines from Saint-Émilion, visit www.tastingpanelmag.com. At Château Tailhaus, a pristine 11-hectare Pomerol estate in the Moueix portfolio, soft-spoken proprietor Luc Nebout's wines have undergone a shift in style to reflect more concentration and with that, gained even more complexity. Nebout notes, "Evolution [in the bottle] is very evident; when the wines turn the While in nearby Lussac, winemaker Laurie Bartok crafts rich, contem- porary wines using whole-berry fermentation at 20-hectare (49-acre) Château Soleil. It's not likely that Bartok's "dialed-up" Merlot-dominant blends will be mistaken for New World wines; they're driven by the same flavors but with more density and richness. Styles shift again at neighboring Château La Claymore, whose popular on-premise wines span three AOPs—Lussac, Montagne and Bordeaux Superior—and show their leaner dark fruit, minerality and baking spices to great advantage. It may take a while for Saint-Émilion and its satellites to promote their qual- ity messaging, but winemakers here are making missed opportunities of the past an object lesson for the future. Meslin, from Château Laroze, said that while the Médoc was prepared to handle the globalization of wine, Saint- Émilion was less so because of its small size. But, he says, by banding together, they won't miss that chance again. PHOTO: DEBORAH PARKER WONG PHOTO: DEBORAH PARKER WONG

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