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Château de Claribès

It is a sad but undeniable fact that the vast majority of the wine that is produced by the expansive vineyards of Bordeaux is, year-in and year-out, ignominiously ignored by every critic that covers this region. Again and again they - or should I say we, for I most certainly include myself in this opening self-critical salvo - pay our blinkered visits to the great communes of Pauillac, Pessac, Pomerol and the like, disregarding entire (sometimes very large) appellations in the process. The same two hundred-or-so names grab all the glory, whilst other estates in less fashionable zones, where the soils perhaps have less auspicious reputations, can do little more than scrabble for crumbs it seems.

As it stands I have no good reason why this should be, particularly as - looking beyond Bordeaux for a moment - most other wine regions seem to manage a broad portfolio of styles and quality very nicely. The frequently delicious and good value Côtes du Rhônes that are born from the vines on the slopes around France's second longest river are just as much a part of the valley's viticulture as more exalted examples of Hermitage and super-cuvées of Châteauneuf du Pape. And in Burgundy, a good grower will be just as valued for his or her generic Bourgogne Rouge as they will be for their panoply of premiers and grands crus, by anyone other than a label-drinker at least. And yet in Bordeaux that doesn't seem to be so.

Why are these lesser appellations so unloved? In some cases they are once grand names that seem to have fallen from grace, with Fronsac being the archetype here. Others are expansive and, although well known, never seem to have established themselves as a go-to source for top quality wines. The broad stretch of vineyards that lie between the Garonne and the Dordogne, known as Entre-Deux-Mers, is typical, and despite the presence of one or two domaines that occasionally make some waves - Reignac, for example - this inland isthmus seems destined to remain a Bordeaux backwater. And then there are some you might not have even heard of. Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux, anybody?

The appellation of Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux lies to the east of Entre-Deux-Mers, just within the boundary of what we might consider as Bordeaux; continue a little further to the east and we find the vineyards of Saussignac, Monbazillac and Bergerac, whereas to the south lie Duras and Marmandais. In truth there is perhaps not much to distinguish them from one another. Like Saussignac and Monbazillac, Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux started life as an appellation for sweet wine, fashioned in the first wave of appellation creation in 1937. Only more recently have dry white and red wines been permitted, based loosely - just as it is with Bergerac, Duras and company - on the Bordeaux varieties. For the whites, we have Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle as the principle varieties, with secondary roles for Colombard and Ugni Blanc, whereas the reds are led by Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot and Merlot, the secondary varieties here Carmenère and Petit Verdot.

Enter stage-right in this brave new appellation Nick Kinder and Helen Kelly, British expatriates from Henley-on-Thames on the hunt for a change of scene and a new outlook on life. They acquired Château de Claribès in 2005 - not a bad vintage to kick off with - and they moved in - otherwise known as jumping in at the deep end - the following year. The estate covers more than 24 hectares all told, of which 10.5 hectares are vineyard. There were some new vines which only bore fruit for the first time in 2006, although other plots have more than 50 years behind them. Immediately Nick and Helen set about improving the vineyard, restaking as required and encouraging natural flora to take root between the rows. All the vineyard work is by hand, the methods organic (they currently await certification) with a sprinkling of biodynamics, all seaweed sprays and lunar cycles, although in the winery the wines are sometimes fermented using cultured yeasts.

The white, 100% Sauvignon Blanc hand-picked (rare at this level - financial considerations usually drive producers to machine harvesting) from 25- to 30-year old vines, is pressed and allowed to rest on the skins for a few hours before a cool fermentation in stainless steel. This is also the case for the Rosé, which has usually been Merlot and Cabernet Franc but which was 100% Merlot in 2009. As for the reds these open with the Maison cuvée, generally a blend of equal parts Merlot and cabernet Sauvignon (with a little Cabernet Franc thrown in to break up the 50-50 mix). Meanwhile Marpeau is much more focused on Cabernet Sauvignon which accounts for 80% of the blend, with 20% Merlot and no Cabernet Franc, and there is also a cuvée produced from old vine Malbec. All the red wines are fermented in cement tanks, keeping the must on the skins for up to four weeks to extract tannin and colour, the fermented wine then held in the tank for between 18 and 24 months before fining - using non-animal products - and bottling. At present the wines see no oak at all, although this is set to change once Helen and Nick feel they understand what their vineyards are giving them.

Having tasted the wines of Château de Claribès, courtesy of Helen and Nick, this is certainly an estate - and perhaps an appellation - that the Bordeaux bargain-hunter, provided he or she is able to look beyond the grand labels of the Médoc and Libourne, should get to know. The Sauvignon Blanc is a microcosm of good value white Bordeaux, textured and with flavour, solidly composed rather than dancing and ethereal perhaps, but with a refreshment value that makes up for such minor quibbles. And the rosé is impressive, full of flavour, vibrant with acidity, with fresh rather than confected fruit, and not the slightest tinge of residual sugar; it was all a Bordeaux rosé should be. As for the reds, I find these to be admirably drinkable, although I don't think they have the pull necessary to dissuade me from partaking of another glass of that hand-picked Sauvignon. (23/12/10)

Contact details:
Address: Claribès, 33890 Gensac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 40 50 75
Internet: www.claribes.com
GPS: 44.797707, 0.103275

Château de Claribès - Tasting Notes

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Château de Claribès Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc 2009: This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc picked by hand and transferred into stainless steel tank within minutes. Fermented cool followed by a little time on the lees before bottling. A fairly pale, cool-climate hue on inspection, as would be expected here. The fruit found on the nose certainly has appeal, showing a paradoxical intertwining of creamy white fruit along with elements of grass, largely varietal elements, but also a vibrant, chalky minerality which brings an additional and welcome facet. Plenty of texture at the start on the palate, and then in the middle plenty of fruit but with a very captivating pithy, steely, stony-minerally character. And towards the finish it really tightens up, although with a little touch of oiliness in the texture. This is really appealing; yet another wine that reinforces my belief that at this very affordable level Bordeaux does white so very well - often better than red. It even has a little length to its dry, slightly bitter and very appealing finish. Good stuff. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 15.5/20 (December 2010)

Château de Claribès Bordeaux Rosé 2009: From an individually selected parcel rather than a saignée, this vintage is 100% Merlot, although previous vintages have been a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Fermented in stainless steel, bottled under a DIAM cork. The colour is a rather solid salmon-pink, veering quite strongly into a pale, pale red. The nose doesn't provide us with anything out of the ordinary, some appealing, clean and expressive strawberry fruit  and Chantilly cream, but it is on the palate where this really impresses. It is the lovely, sappy, balanced structure that you notice first rather than any fruit component, a light detachment from the palate despite some good substance to the wine. And then a fresh, jiggling acidity which gives the whole thing a life of its own right through the middle to the fresh and flavoursome finish. Dry, flavoursome and full. A dry rosé I could actually drink - so a success! 15.5/20 (December 2010)

Château de Claribès Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux Vieilles Vignes Malbec 2008: This is 95% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruit sourced from the oldest parcels of vines on the Claribès estate, aged 80 years. Bottled under a DIAM cork. A nice, dusty, red-black hue. The nose takes some time to open up, but when it does is reveals some sweet, smoky and lightly perfumed and musky black fruits. Given time it has quite an intense and slightly confected character, which has an appealing brightness. A nice substance on entry, plenty of perfumed and gritty black fruits on the palate. Crunchy and yet ripely sweet, textured, with ripe, grippy but rather drying tannins around the edge. With time the finish tends to be dominated by the rather substantial tannic core. This wine spends several hours unfurling in the glass, and I suspect it would do very well given a year or two in the cellar. Good. 15+/20 (December 2010)

Château de Claribès Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux Maison 2005: A blend of approximately 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon (approximate because there is also a little Cabernet Franc included). Bottled under a DIAM cork. This has a good depth of colour, and an intriguing nose full of curranty fruit, with very prominent notes of warm clay and wet gravel alongside. There is a little organic, feral twist to it as well, bringing in evolving notes of rolled tobacco leaf and smoke. A nice substance on entry, showing a well judged weight bound up in a very tight and crunchy frame of acid and smoky tannic grip. It becomes more robust towards the finish. It has a lean and steely-stony edge behind the fruit leading into a lot of endpalate grip, along with little tinges of tobacco and perfume. An attractive wine with potential yet for the cellar. 14.5+/20 (December 2010)

Château de Claribès Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux Marpeau 2005: This cuvée differs primarily through its composition, being a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Merlot. Also bottled under a DIAM cork. A very similar hue to the domaine wine here, and showing dense and very compact fruit on the nose, with a warm stone character to it. It is broad and very characterful. Through onto the palate it displays a very welcoming presence, with a wealth of well-polished flesh full of grippy structure but overlaid with plenty of sappy fruit. Nevertheless it maintains a fresh and very dry character in terms of composition, with a sappy edge and also a little grip. Showing a good texture, well-judged within the frame of the wine, and also a longer finish than the Maison cuvée, this is an admirable effort from this appellation and my favourite from the reds here. 15.5+/20 (December 2010)