2008 Clos St. Martin

Clos St. Martin is a Grand Cru Classe estate in St.-Emilion. The three-acre estate was for many years managed by winemaker Sophie Fourcade for the Rieffers family. In 2013 the estate was purchased by the Cuvelier family, who agreed to a business arrangement with Fourcade to allow her to own a portion of the vineyard and to continue to manage the estate. Fourcade is a highly admired winemaker. Robert M. Parker wrote that “the talented Sophie Fourcade has quietly taken this once practically unknown estate to the top echelon of the New Wave St.-Emilion hierarchy…” The estate grows 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. About 500 cases are produced annually. There is no second wine.

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.