2016 Château Boutisse

Château Boutisse is a Grand Cru estate in Saint-Emilion. The 50-acre estate dates to the 18th century and was replanted in the late 19th century by Comte de Malet-Roquefort. In 1996 it was bought by Gerard and Xavier Milhade. The Milhade family has owned Bordeaux vineyards for three generations and they today operate and own six right-bank estates. The Milhades turned Château Boutisse into their flagship estate and made many improvements to the facilities. The second label is Baron de Boutisse.

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.