2006 Château Meyney

Château Meyney is in St.-Estephe, on the left bank of the Gironde River in Bordeaux. The 126-acre estate is classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptional. The estate dates to the 17th century when it was the site of a convent. After the French Revolution it became privately owned and today it is owned by Credit Agricole, a large French bank that owns a portfolio of wine estates. Meyney is planted to 56% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 % Petit Verdot and 9 % Cabernet Franc. Nearly 300,000 bottles are produced a year. The second label is Prieur du Château Meyney.

Saint-Estèphe is in the northern Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde River. Although it has no First Growth estates, its five Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Growth châteaux are notable, and, in recent decades, have become favorites with reviewers and consumers. Some reviewers also note that the appellation is today making excellent Cru Bourgeois wines, which frequently offer good value. There are 3,404 acres of vineyards and a variety of soil types, from gravelly soil to soil with significant sand or clay. The two Second Growth Châteaux in St.-Estephe are Cos d’Estournel and Montrose. The Third Growth Calon-Ségur is widely admired. The principal grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.