1979 Château Balestard La Tonnelle

Château Balestard la Tonnelle is a 25-acre, Grand Cru Classe estate in St. Emilion. The estate dates to the 15th century and takes its name from Canon Balestard, a clergyman who was part of the family who owned the property, and the “tonnelle” or tower that was used to watch over the area. Today the estate is owned by the Capdemourlin family who also own Châteaux Cap de Mourlin and Petit Faurie Soutard. About 60,000 bottles are made annually. Robert M. Parker Jr. describes the wine as “always soundly made in the old-fashioned traditional St. Emilion style…”

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.