Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel 2012
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A tiny estate of just over 20 acres on the St.-Emilion-Pomerol border, this 2012 is one of the strongest wines I have yet tasted from this producer. The color is opaque bluish/purple, and the wine offers up notes of blueberry, black raspberry, crushed rock and earth. Chewy, thick, juicy fruit and beautiful, with impressive length, this top-flight St.-Emilion is well under the radar and a major sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 15+ years. It is 80% Merlot and the balance mostly Cabernet Franc.
It was separated from Grand Corbin on July 20th, 1855, sold by the Fonrose Béchade Brothers to Jean Laporte, already a landowner in Montagne. In the spring of 1870, it was inherited by his only daughter, Marie. She married Jean Brin, landowner in Néac where she took up residence.
After Marie's death in 1898, her only son inherited. At the end of the First World War, Jean Brin junior parted company with Grande Métairie, which, according to the deeds, was not in a good state of repair. The land area at that time was approximately 19 acres, to which was now added a further 3.5 acres of land in Jurat, half planted in vines, half in arable land. This last section now belongs to the Chateau Haut Corbin. The whole of the Grande Métairie was then sold to Mr Jean David, wine-broker and neighboring landowner to Grand Corbin. In 1965, Pierre Manuel became the new owner, and the Chateau became known as "Grand Corbin Manuel".
In 2001, Messrs. Dupuy and Audry took possession of the Chateau then resold it in 2005 to the Gaye Family, the current owners. For several generations the Gaye family has been an owner wine-grower in the highly reputed Chateaux of Saint-Emilion. In 2005, Stéphane de Gaye and children decided to take on the Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel with a freshly awakened enthusiasm. The daughter, Yseult, is fully responsible for this property located in the middle of the Ranked Great Vintages, very close to the St. Emilion and Pomerol 'premiers Grands Crus'.
It is located to the North-West of Saint-Emilion, near Pomerol and unfolds around the farm buildings for a total area of 17 acres in just one holding. With 17 acres in production, and with a rootstock of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it is a consistent representative of the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru and St. Emilion Ranked Great Vintage (Grand Cru Classé).
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.