Grande Maison
Monbazillac | Southwest FranceFor most of the nineteenth century, sweet wines from this region on the Dordogne River east of Bordeaux were highly sought after—even more so than wines from Sauternes or Barsac. Yet if you take a look at the prices most higher-end Sauternes wines command, you can understand why we say it’s high time to rediscover the lost gold of Monbazillac.
Raised biodynamically, with yields that often dip lower than the lowest at Yquem, Grande Maison for us is an elegant expression of Monbazillac botrytized wines. All of the estate’s vineyards surround the “grande maison,” a fortified manor house originally built in the thirteenth century. Destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries, today this stone house stands as a historic sentinel in a sea of vines and wild forest.
Estate vines run down a gentle slope to the heart of the estate, which is a modest, man-made lake that helps encourage the development of botrytis, the “noble rot” necessary for the finest Monbazillac wines.
FARMING & WINEMAKING
Grande Maison was an organic pioneer in Monbazillac, farming according to organic and biodynamic principles in the early 1990s. The estate’s 35 acres of vineyards mostly face full south; a small lake (created by an earlier owner) helps to protect against spring frosts, moderate summer temperatures and encourage the development of botrytis, or noble rot, once grapes are ripe. Soils combine limestone and siliceous clay.
Grapes are harvested by hand in multiple passes, and taken to the cellar in small batches. Fruit is pressed gently in a horizontal press, and placed under gas immediately to prevent oxidation. Juice clarifies naturally via gravity and is fermented on indigenous yeasts either in tank or French oak barrels, depending on the wine. Wine is aged generally from 18 months to two years before bottling.
Monbazillac 'Cuvée des Anges'
A selection of fruit that has been “lightly” touched by noble rot, combining heady spice notes with honeycomb and fresh citrus. Wonderfully balanced, exuberantly aromatic. Enjoy it young for its fresh fruit and vibrant character.
- Download fact sheet (PDF)
Monbazillac 'Cuvée du Château'
A selection of fruit that has completely been affected by botrytis, or “noble rot.” The estate’s benchmark Monbazillac, a honeyed elixir that will age and evolve gracefully for decades. Gorgeous with fois gras, scallops, blue cheese.
- Download fact sheet (PDF)
Established: 1990
Winemaker: Benjamin Chabrol
Region: France • Sudouest (Southwest France) • Monbazillac
Vineyard size: 35 acres
CERTIFIED ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMIC
