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Wine
Bergerac
In Aquitaine, situated on
both sides of the Dordogne river, the Bergerac vineyard covers 13.000
hectares on 93 villages. Among the 12 appellations, the most famous
are AOC Bergerac, Côtes de Bergerac, Pécharmant, Rosette, Monbazillac, Saussignac and Montravel.
Each of these AOC carries proudly the red, rosé, dry, or liqueur
colors of the legendary Bergerac Vineyard.
The blend and the choice of the wine-plant constitue the Bergerac
wine's prestige and bouquet.
Cabernet Sauvignon, cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec for the reds and Sauvignon, Sémillon, Muscadelle for the whites, give the right balance
which determined the Bergerac wine's characteristic and flavour.
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Wine Producing
Chateaux & Appellations
Chateau de Monbazillac
The castel de Monbazillac,is a unique and original
architectural blend of medieval defensive fortifications and
Renaissance exuberance.
Set in the heart of the prestigious vineyard of the same name, the
Château de Monbazillac's garden terraces afford stunning views
across the Dordogne valley.
After
visiting the Château each visitor is offered a complementary tasting
of Monbazillac wine.
Home to France's original sweet white wine appellation, the
Monbazillac area extends over almost 3,600 hectares. Only those grapes
which have reached their peak of ripeness are selected by the
grape-pickers. There are as many as three different harvest passes on
each row of vines.
The combination of Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle vine stock grown
on the sun-kissed slopes of Monbazillac makes this wine one of the
stars of the Bergerac wine producing region.
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Chateau de Belingard
Château Bélingard was already well ranked in the
1903 édition of Féret’s "Bergerac et ses vins", with 100 barrels of
red wine and 50 of white wine. In the 1994 edition, it is still the
leading wine producer of the famous Monbazillac and Bergerac
appellations.
The Château Bélingard’s production, comprised of red
and white wines of Bergerac, also includes the sweet wines of
Monbazillac.
The product range can be presented as follows:
• Château Bélingard : from the blend of the different grape varieties
present on the estate, these wines are very typical of the Bergerac
and Monbazillac appellations.
• The "Alliance" vintage of Château Bélingard results from the
association of the traditional practices of our great lands with
modern technology, as implemented by the winemakers of the New World.
These wines are deliciously supple with a hint of wood.
• The wines of the "Blanche de Bosredon" vintage of Château Bélingard,
the core of the estate’s production, are the result of a rigorous
selection of grape varieties and ageing in French oak barrels.
• The great "Prestige" vintage of Château Bélingard can only be found
in the Côtes de Bergerac Red Appellation . It comes from a strict
grape selection and is always aged in new barrels.
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Clos d'Yvigne
In 1990 Patricia Atkinson moved to South West France to
take on a small vineyard. She spoke little French and knew nothing of
wine making.
Today the wines of the Clos d’Yvigne vineyard are internationally
acclaimed for their high quality. The vineyard is three times its
original size. And the story of the struggle and the success has
reached a wide audience through Patricia Atkinson’s bestselling book,
The Ripening Sun - One Woman and the Creation of a Vineyard. To the centuries-old natural advantages of wine growing
in this region around Bordeaux, Patricia Atkinson has added the skill
and passion necessary to achieve the highest quality in its making.
The vines are pruned severely in the winter and spring which reduces
the yield of the grapes but increases the concentration of fruit.
Careful husbandry in the vineyard combined with natural farming
methods and the minimal use of chemicals produce clean, healthy
harvests.
During the vendange, Patricia Atkinson daily observes, tastes and
tests the maturity of her grapes, carefully choosing the best moment
to pick them. Her close management of their harvesting ensures that
high quality grapes arrive at the chai door in a healthy state ready
for vinification.
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Bordeaux
The name BORDEAUX is known world-wide as
an exceptional brand image of grands crus (great wines). Bordeaux, in
the heart of some eight thousand hectares, is the largest, fine
wine-producing vineyard in the world.
Here 'the memory of wine' has thrived for over a thousand years. The
wealth of Bordeaux wine rests on some fifty seven appellations, over
five thousand chateaux, sixty wine cooperatives, four hundred wine
merchants...
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The 6 Wine Families
Bordeaux is a region of such tremendous diversity in geography,
soil, weather and winemaking tradition that it produces a myriad of
wines, each with a unique character. It is nonetheless easy to become
familiar with the basics of Bordeaux because the 57 Bordeaux
appellations are commonly divided into six families of wine: four red
and two white. Each family shares characteristics which result from
similar growing conditions and from the regulated blends used in
production.
Bordeaux & Bordeaux
Superieur
These can offer the best value. They are balanced and bracing,
but light with a delicate nose and are meant to be drunk young. Rosé
and clairet wines also fall into this family, but only receive the
most general appellation, Bordeaux. This is the largest of the
families and the diverse personality of these wines depends on the
different soils and growing conditions.
Cotes de Bordeaux
The Côtes de Bordeaux
vineyards (their name comes from the hillsides along the right banks
of the Garonne and the Dordogne Rivers) are spread across the entire
region, producing red and white wines. The various côtes appellations
of the Bordeaux region are light- to medium-bodied wines with a fine
bouquet and color. These fresh wines mature quickly. Some key Côtes
appellations are Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Blaye,
Côtes de Bourg, Côtes de Castillon, and Côtes de Francs.
St-Emillion, Pomerol, Fronsac
The Libournais vineyards
include the prestigious Saint-Emilion and Pomerol wine-producing
districts. Situated on the eastern, or right, bank of the Gironde
River, the soil is particularly suited for growing grapes from which
the popular Merlot wines are produced. Libournais wines are softer and
fruitier than Médoc and Graves wines. They are medium-to full-bodied
and can be enjoyed young, but the best appellations should be aged to
bring out their full complexity and distinct qualities. Other
appellations include Saint-Emilion Grand Cru , and the "satellite"
appellations of Montagne-Saint-Emilion, Lussac-Saint-Emilion,
Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion, Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion,
Lalande-de-Pomerol, Fronsac, and Canon-Fronsac.
Medoc & Graves
Médoc (on the western, or
left, bank of the Gironde estuary) and Graves (south of the city of
Bordeaux) are renowned for the most prestigious châteaux, where some
of the best and most age-worthy wines in the world are produced. The
dominant grape here is Cabernet Sauvignon and in general the wines
merit long aging to enhance their rich and complex flavors. Other
appellations include Haut-Médoc, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien,
Listrac, Moulis, Margaux and Pessac-Léognan.
Elegant Dry Whites
Elegant dry whites are produced in the rolling Entre-deux-Mers,
literally "between the two seas." The region is also a source of good
regional (Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur) reds. Elegance best defines
the dry white wines of Bordeaux. They basically fall into two styles,
light and delicate with a crisp bouquet, or fuller bodied and aged in
oak. Other appellations include Bordeaux, Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers,
Côtes de Blaye, Premières Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, Côtes de
Francs and Pessac-Léognan.
Golden Sweet Whites
World-famous golden sweet
white wines are only produced in a very small part of the southern
Bordeaux region, mainly in Sauternes and Barsac. Sweet white wines can
be both medium and full bodied and whose dominant varietal is the
Sémillon grape, one particularly susceptible to noble rot. The most
famous of Bordeaux's sweet white wine-producing regions is Sauternes,
whose classified châteaux produce luscious wines worthy of aging to
bring out their intense flavor. Other appellations include Barsac,
Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Cadillac and Cèrons.
Armagnac
Domaine d’Ognoas
Ognoas is a place of welcome offering visitors all the
characteristics of centuries old estate wich has kept its
authenticity. Even if you can find an ultra experimental farm (with
approximately 100 milking cows), it is the traditionnal products that
make the most of the "Ognoas style".
The great Armagnacs, "le Floc de Gascogne", are today produced next to
astonishing products including vintage chocolate!. The domaine d'Ognoas
has been selected
"Site remarquable du Goût". The great
Armagnacs, "le Floc de Gascogne", are today produced next to
astonishing products including vintage chocolate! Once out the cellars
and the tasting rooms, the 540 hectares of estate are full of surprises
and treasures. The Gaube Mill has recently renovated. Other buildings
will follow like the country-house of "Tampouy", a fortified villay
where François 1er used to hunt. For those who love nature, there are
plenty of deer and hind seen regularly running over the meadows.
The "silico-clay" soil of the estate vineyard, extending over 25
hectares, supplies a wine for distillation of excellent quality. The
vines (la Folle Blanche, le Baco 22A, l'Ugni blanc et le Colombard)
are planted on sunny slopes beside the Midou river. All the white
grapes ripen late in the season, limiting the alcohol and giving the
richness of flavour during the vinification. Connaisseurs say that
Ognoas has the fragrance of vanilla and prune.
The
oldest distillery in Gascony
The estate owns
the oldest
distillery in Gascony. This ancient work of art of cooper
dates from 1804 and has taken advantage of the best distillery
technology, including the chilling of the wine.
Every year, approximately 800 hectoliters of wine are distilled,
supplying 150 hectoliters of Armagnac which ages for a least 10 years
and as much 40 years in the
oak coasks
from the estate.
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