Indie de Monbadon, Côtes de Castillon 2021

This is wonderful wine from the southern Saint-Émilion satellite of the Côtes de Castillon. When Jean-Philippe bought the winery he saw the potential for superb wine, fully ripe and ageworthy, but without the knock-on of soaring alcohol levels.

Bright red fruit flavours of strawberry and cranberry are backed-up by black berry, herbs and subtle spices in this juicy, well-structured wine that behaves as though it is a youthful Pomerol. Really fine, ageworthy and modern while retaining its freshness and sense of terroir. This will make you want to discover the Côtes de Castillon again and again.

Before selling to Jean-Philippe, the family of Barons de Monbadon owned this property since the 1600s, but the original building is medieval in origin, owing its construction to (the English) King Edward 3rd in 1330. But the wine side fo the estate cam alive at the turn if the 21st Century when the conversion to organic viticulture saw the quality of its 25 hectares soar. To the notice of course of many others around, including our great friend Jean-Philippe Janoueix. 

Interestingly blending Cabernet Franc and Merlot, in the Pomerol tradition, the grapes have a naturally fine structure that makes a hands-off approach to winemaking quite feasible. This is what Jean-Philippe wants to do because he believes that the fruit has so much to offer. With this in mind, he vinifies the grapes separately in stainless steel tanks and amphora, and only then ageing a small portion of the wine in 500-litre oak barrels for 6 months (in practice, to soften any edges and give some familiarity to the market) before a final blending process.

Jean-Philippe is the fourth generation of the Janoueix family to be in the wine business. The family originated from the region of Correze to the east of Bordeaux and Bergerac and just south of the oak forests of Limoges, famed for their barrel-making timber. 

Jean Janoueix established a wine business in Bordeaux in 1867 and his son, Joseph, was the instigator of the plan to buy their own grapes, which then became vineyards and then properties, with Château La Croix Saint Georges and Château la Croix in Pomerol and Saint Emilion respectively in the 1930s. His son Jean-François was to continue this growth with significant purchases during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. our man Jean-Philippe joined his father in 1994 with his first vintage, and his own plans, purchasing Chateau Chambrun in Lalande de Pomerol. he turned this property into the benchmark for quality in Lalande before selling it in 2007. This interestingly seems to be a very normal practice of trading, investing and re-investing in properties to renew and replenish ones portfolio. Not quite the world in which we live, but that's ok too...