Clos La Madeleine: Vineyards
Since this profile was first published the vineyards of Clos La Madeleine have been absorbed into those of Château Bélair-Monange, so this account of the vineyards and winemaking reflects how the estate was once run. For details on what happed with the fruit picked here today, see my Château Bélair-Monange profile.
The vineyards sit on the hill of La Madeleine, in a prominent position at the top of the slope, easily seen from the roads below. Its nearest neighbours were also Moueix properties, with the old Château Magdelaine just to the west, and the old Château Belair, the two now amalgamated as Château Bélair-Monange, to the east. On reflection, it was almost inevitable that the three domaines would be amalgamated. Just slightly further to the west is Château Berliquet, easily overlooked here and much more easily viewed from the north side of the plateau, from the road which runs past Château Canon and Château Angélus. In the other direction, meanwhile, there sits Château Ausone, and down the slope there are both Château La Gaffelière and Château Canon-la-Gaffelière. In short, this diminutive domaine was flanked on all sides by high-ranking premier grand cru classé estates, the only grand cru classé peer among them the aforementioned Château Berliquet.
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