Château Macquin, Château Macquin, Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion

Château Macquin is located three kilometres north of Saint-Émilion in the village of Saint-Georges, the smallest Bordeaux appellation at just 180 hectares. Sitting 89 metres above sea level, Saint-Georges enjoys one of the best elevations on the right bank, giving the wines freshness and concentration. The south-facing vines, some as old as 60 years, are planted on a combination of clay and limestone soils. Sustainability is a crucial part of Denis and Christine’s philosophy and they have achieved 'high environmental value' certification. Their vineyards are sustainably farmed without using herbicides, pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Instead ‘proteodies’ are broadcast to the vines, as musical vibrations have been proven to combat certain vine diseases.

2021 was a challenging vintage in Bordeaux. The warm and wet spring caused budbreak about two weeks earlier than normal; the fragile shoots then subsequently suffered the April frosts that followed. An exceptionally wet May led to a surge in mildew, careful canopy management in the vineyards was essential. Luckily, August was hot and dry, with excellent sun exposure interspersed with light rains, and the vines sprung into life. The berries started to grow and ripen fast which meant that the vines had to be monitored carefully to ensure that the grapes didn’t burst, leaving their exposed pulp vulnerable to botrytis. Despite the difficult year, the quality of the fruit harvested was exceptional and produced highly complex and aromatic wines.

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently crushed and moved to temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for fermentation, some of which were lined with oak staves. Fermentation lasted around three weeks with regular pumping over of the cap in order to extract optimum levels of colour and tannin. Following fermentation, malolactic fermentation took place in tank and then one third of the wine was aged in 25% new French oak barrels for one year, giving the wine structure and complexity without overpowering the fruit. The remaining two thirds were kept in stainless steel until the final blend was assembled and bottled.