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Chateau Petit Village

Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of this Pomerol estate is the name; after all, how does one account for petit village? Le Pin is named for the lone pine tree that stands like a sentry over the house and vineyard, and La Conseillante for Catherine Conseillan; these names make immediate sense. But petit village? Writing in his tome Grands Vins, published in 1995, Clive Coates postulates that the name refers to the appearance of the estate from afar, which was such that the cluster of buildings resembled a small village. This is also the line taken by the current proprietors, although they do also suggest that the name reflects Petit-Village's location at what was once the heart of Pomerol. In my research I have found no more likely explanations than these two, and I am inclined to take the former as perhaps a little more likely.

Petit Village: A Modern History

Petit Village The origins of the estate are distant and not easy to distinguish. There were vines here during the 18th Century, although identifying the owner at this time is not a straightforward task. By the time the Revolution had passed they were documented as being part of the Dufresnes estate, before they came into the ownership of the De Seguin family of Clos Fourtet. There is little to tell us of their activity here, other than some production figures from the late 19th Century which demonstrate an output approaching 25 tonneaux (one tonneau being 900 litres), a respectable level of production. At this time the estate changed hands several times more, firstly being acquired by the Buidin-Buffin family, and then a gentleman named Héron. Neither seems to have made a huge impact on the estate, and it is not until it is purchased by Fernand Ginestet in 1919, shortly after the close of World War I, that we see some more significant developments at Petit Village.

The name of Ginestet is not one that is entirely unfamiliar to these pages. A négociant who established his offices on the quayside in Bordeaux in 1899, he soon developed the financial muscle necessary to acquire properties of his own, and he started with Chateau Cos d'Estournel in 1917. Such ventures did not always end well for the Ginestet family - they were, for example, part of the consortium that acquired Chateau Margaux in 1949 and were subsequently responsible for the numerous dreary wines of the 1970s before selling that property to the Mentzelopoulos family. But in 1919, with Cos safely ensconced in the portfolio, Fernand acquired two more properties, this time from the right bank, namely Petit Village and the aforementioned Clos Fourtet. The Ginestet family held tenure at Petit Village for at least five decades, during what was without doubt a difficult era for the region. Early on in the 20th Century many vineyards were still in a period of re-establishment following the devastation of phylloxera, and for many this was compounded in 1956 by dramatic frosts which wiped out many vines. Replanting with Cabernet Sauvignon, following the lead of neighbour Vieux Chateau Certan, was not an inspired move and it did little to help the quality of the wine during the latter half of the century.

The modern era really begins in the 1970s, when the Ginestet portfolio was dissected, the properties distributed among the different branches of the family. Margaux came to Pierre, Fernand's son, but what remained was taken by his sister, who had married into the Prats family, who therefore acquired not only Cos d'Estournel but also Petit Village. It was Bruno Prats that took charge at these estates, and here at Petit Village his influence and dynamic action did much to ameliorate the quality of the wine. There was work to be done both in the vineyard and in the chai; in the former, the excess of Cabernet Sauvignon vines were replaced, such that Merlot took on a greater dominance. In the chai, new epoxy-lined stainless steel vats were installed in 1976, and with such new investment naturally there comes a greater proportion of new oak for the cellars. Critics of the era noted the improvements. Nevertheless, it was not long before the estate left the hands of the Prats family altogether. In 1989 the family sold the estate to the AXA Millésimes insurance group, allegedly to lessen the burden of taxation related to the inheritance of Cos d'Estournel. Thus it came under the control of Jean-Michel Cazes and Daniel Llose, already well known for their successes at Pichon-Baron and a number of other estates. Since then the involvement of the Cazes family with AXA has diminished with the retirement of Jean-Michel, and it is today Christian Seely who oversees the AXA properties, but Petit Village is still managed by Llose, together with technical director Serge Ley.

It is for this reason that at tastings the wine is often shown next to that of Pichon-Baron, although this cosy arrangement might not be as secure as it seems. It was not that long ago that it looked as though Petit Village was to change hands once again. In March 2002, Gérard Perse, the ebullient proprietor of Pavie, Monbousquet, Pavie-Decesse and Bellevue-Mondotte, was all set to add Petit Village to his portfolio, for the sum of €45 million. In 2003, however, the deal looked to be on the rocks, and indeed it subsequently fell through, Perse blaming the morosité, or gloomy state, of the en primeur market. Moribund is not quite how I would describe activity on the Bordeaux place in the early vintages of the 21st Century, so perhaps there were some other processes behind the scenes - a little problem with cash flow, perhaps - that drove this decision. Whatever the reason, today Petit Village remains with AXA, and the wines seem to have continued to improve under Christian Seely's aegis. An active program of reinvestment, including replanting of some Cabernet Franc in 2004 and Merlot in 2005, the renovation of the barrel cellar in the latter of these two years, the construction of a new receiving area for the fruit in 2006 along with new vats, and a second, completely new barrel cellar in 2007, signify the level of investment and commitment there is at the estate.

The Wines of Chateau Petit Village

The Petit Village estate has illustrious neighbours, with Vieux Chateau Certan to the north, Beauregard to the south and La Conseillante to the east. It comprises an 11 hectare vineyard accompanied by a rather unimposing collection of buildings which surround a small courtyard. As with many estates in Pomerol, there is no grand chateau, indeed the main building is little more than a farmhouse. The vines are in a single parcel which takes the shape of a triangle, and lies not far from the village of Catusseau; they are mostly Merlot, this variety taking up 75% of the vineyard, with 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc. The soils underfoot are gravelly, with deeper layers of chalk and clay, peppered with areas of red iron residue. The harvest is by hand, with the process of fruit selection beginning in the vineyard, and transport of the selected grapes to the chai in small, 30 kg crates. The fruit then passes over a sorting table before fermentation in temperature-controlled concrete vats, with a maceration lasting for about three weeks. It then goes into oak for the malolactic, where it remains for between 12 and 18 months. Typically there will be a good proportion of new oak used, with 60% being the figure for the 2006 vintage, the remainder being one year old. The grand vin is Chateau Petit Village, of which there about 3500 cases produced per annum, and there is a second wine, introduced with the 1996 vintage, which is entitled Le Jardin de Petit Village. Of this there are about 1300 cases.

Published critical ratings of Petit Village are interesting to follow, as there is no unity of opinion as far as I can tell. Some admire the wines, others see them as dull and uninspiring. I think I am somewhere in the middle, but certainly closer to the first position than the second. It is perhaps ironic that Perse came so close to purchasing the estate, as the division of opinion concerning Petit Village rather resembles the spread of opinions on pre-Perse Pavie. Some greatly admired the wines that were made under Alexandre and then Jean-Paul Valette, whereas some remain highly dismissive of them to this day, and are grateful for the intervention of Perse who in their eyes has rescued the estate from ignominy. Tasting recent vintages of Petit Village in their youth, they appear to be full of promise, but where they differ from their peers is in the flesh and texture of the wine. These wines do not exhibit the heady, seductive, fleshy or even flashy style of Pomerol, instead they show a much more restrained character, opening up a little with a few years of bottle age. They offer an attractive style but nevertheless I would be the first to agree that we are not, judging by recent vintages, looking at the top tier of the Pomerol appellation here. Accepting this, I still find many of the wines to be of some merit; this has certainly been the case with the 2004, and although my first impression of the 2005, a barrel sample, was not overwhelmingly effusive I did change my tune when I tasted the final blend of the wine from bottle, a year or so later. It is difficult to account for a wine showing in such a dramatically different fashion from one year to the next, except perhaps that the wine in bottle was remarkably different in composition to the early barrel sample; the fact that the hot, porty character completely disappeared would suggest this might be the case. But I will have to retaste the wine to be sure of my opinion. The 2006, meanwhile, has been rather unconvincing in its embryonic, barrel-sample phase and I look forward to a similar opportunity to reassess this wine. (29/1/08)

Contact details:
Address: 33500 Pomerol
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 51 21 08
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 51 87 31
Internet: www.petit-village.com

Chateau Petit Village - Tasting Notes

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2007

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2007: Made using pigeage for the first time, under the guidance of Stéphane Derenoncourt. A gentle, bright, aromatic style showing some sweet, exotic, scented berry fruit with a little cola tinge at the edge. A delicious weight on entry, sweet, defined and aromatic, showing a fresh and sappy composition but with a lot of structure underneath. Lots of extract in the midpalate and finish. This is appealing but it is rather tight at present. Firm and a little short. But overall, good. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 15-16+/20 (April 2008)

2006

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2006: An interesting style, seems a little chemical on the nose although the aroma was difficult to pin down. Difficult to judge. Plump and creamy texture on the palate. Soft and rounded, with moderate acidity at best. Very ripe, creamy tannins, open, looseknit, certainly lacking in focus. It is interesting, but I do sound a note of caution on this one. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 14.5-15.5?/20 (April 2007)

2005

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2005: A sweet and handsomely evocative nose, with a fresh and stylish character. On the palate it is firm, textured, and really well strung together. It has a fine style, is harmonious, and has a good tannic foundation. Great grip, and firm acidity. Good work here; this is showing very differently to the representative barrel sample tasted en primeur in April 2006, and I have given a remarkably different score. From my Bordeaux 2005 assessment. 17.5-18/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2005: A deeply coloured wine, and a rather alcoholic, hot, porty nose to match. On the palate, highly extracted fruit and rather domineering tannins. Out of balance in my opinion. Perhaps just over-extracted. It does have some appeal though, but what the future holds I am not sure. From my 2005 Bordeaux en primeur tasting. 15-16/20 (April 2006)

2004

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2004: An exotic, evocative, spiced fruit nose. A little jammy on the palate, but what fruit is there is healthy, fresh, with good acidity and a nice seam of tannins too. A rather juicy, refreshing style. Fine and characterful. This is very good indeed. From a Bordeaux 2004 assessment. 17.5+/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2004: A lovely nose, a more pure style of fruit here, again alluring and seductive, still with some flashy oak. Really a very good style here, full and creamy. Mouthfilling, good fresh acidity, with a good, biting grip. Tannic finish. This also has very good potential. 17.5+/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2004: Lovely depth here, moving back up a gear again. Plummy, fruitcake, very true to the fruit. Appealing, middling texture, balanced tannic structure, exuberant fruit, yielding to a solid grip on the finish. Very good style which will evolve well I think. From my Bordeaux 2004 assessment. 17.5+/20 (October 2006)

2001

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2001: An evocative nose here, plenty of dense and complex Pomerol fruit, with a little exotic spice. A good, full presence on the palate. Rich fruit, a supple composition, with a slightly marrowy texture. A bright finish, with plenty of astringent structure here. But there is good substance too. Good potential here. From a tasting of 2001 Pomerol. 17.5+/20 (February 2008)

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 2001: Deeply coloured. A lovely, open, aromatic nose, still showing a touch of oak. Deep and seductive fruit, with black beans again, and plums too. Fresh. It has vigour. Gently creamy, with a ripe tannic backbone, this has a very pleasing, vigorous style. I prefer this to the 1998, which I tasted alongside. Delicious. 18+/20 (February 2007)

1998

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 1998: A deeply coloured wine, a red core and a pink-orange rim. Complex nose, roasted meat, black beans, very attractive, certainly interesting too. A lovely style on the palate, freshness and fine complexity, good flavours, integrated, well knit. Soft yet appealing, but with some background grip. Actually ready now I feel. 17/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Petit Village (Pomerol) 1998: This has a lovely nose, of dark chocolate and black fruits, with a stony, mineral edge. Wonderful structure on the palate, very tannic, with correct acidity and plenty of black, bramble fruits. There's a chewy edge to the tannins. This wine has potential for ageing well. From an Oddbins tasting. 17+/20 (November 2001)