Deep rubis colour, the nose is elegant with notes of dark fruit, toasted bread and liquorice. Unctuous and smooth on the palate, with good aromatic freshness, blackberry, cherry and cassis mingle with toast and smokey hints. Overall the wine is superbly structured and balanced, neither looking for over-ripeness nor adding lashings of oak, this is confident and sure-footed winemaking at its very best.
CHÂTEAU CARTEAU Côtes Daugay, Saint-Emilion
Château Carteau Côtes Daugay is located alongside the road leading from Libourne to Saint-Emilion. From this road, a hill called Daugay rises. The estate and vineyards are located on the south-west slopes; the soil consists mainly of limestone, a thin top layer of debris on a subsoil of solid rock. The limestone debris is mixed with clay and in the lower parts we find more sand.
The vineyard covers 16 hectares and is planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon, these vines are 30 years old in average.
Château Carteau Côtes Daugay is family owned: Five generations of the Bertrand family have been in charge, and today the wine is made by Jacques Bertrand and his three children Anne-Marie, Bruno and Catherine.
The Bertrand family manage their vineyard with lutte raisonnée methods and produce small yields, no artificial fertilizers are used. Hand-harvested, the grapes are brought in the winery in small “bastes”, they are then sorted on two different tables.