Primeurs: Presentations of the host Châteaux

A word about “La Semaine des Primeurs”

“Thanks to the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, we have the opportunity to meet opinion leaders and journalists who defend this culture. We are happy to belong to this land of Saint-Emilion bathed in humanism where we feel the pulse of history. That Balestard la Tonnelle, by its permanent efforts becomes a reference. Such is our objective. Thus, equipped since 2019 with a new bioclimatic building regrouping both the technical part (vat room, barrel cellar) and the reception part (tasting rooms, store), the COVID period having prevented the receptions, the week of the Primeurs of presentation of the 2021 vintage is a formidable occasion to be able to finally receive, the professionals, the journalists, the friends wine growers Saint-Emilionnais, and to make them discover this property in full revival. At Balestard la Tonnelle, the love and soul of wine are very present.”

CHÂTEAU BALESTARD LA TONNELLE – SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU

Located on the plateau of Saint-Emilion, at the gateway to the medieval city, Château Balestard la Tonnelle enjoys an exceptional location. Thanks to its location, its terroirs, its recent infrastructures, the quality of its wines, its ambitious environmental policy and its wine tourism activity in full development, Château Balestard la Tonnelle has the ambition to rub shoulders with the most prestigious properties of its appellation. In this period where the economy is not very favorable and faced with global competition, we must be more and more efficient, encourage meetings, get closer to the outside world, and make our great wines known. To belong to these emblematic châteaux is to pursue an increasingly exemplary quality. To make young consumers discover our art of living which has become a cultural heritage to be transmitted.

A word about “La Semaine des Primeurs”

“After two years without being able to welcome or travel to meet our customers, the organization of the primeurs at Lagrange is an opportunity and a pleasure for us to be able to receive them to make them discover or rediscover the domain and to allow them to taste all the wines of the Saint Julien appellation. This year they will also have the possibility to taste the wines of Listrac and Moulis. Château Lagrange is an emblematic domain of Saint Julien where the values of sharing are an integral part of our DNA.”

CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE – SAINT-JULIEN

Château Lagrange is located in the heart of the renowned Saint-Julien appellation. It is the 3rd Grand Cru Classé in 1855 and its origins go back more than four centuries. Its vineyard, unchanged since the classification, extends in a single block to the west of Saint-Julien, on the highest point of the appellation. In the heart of the estate are 40 hectares of parkland and woods, as well as a lake, making up an exceptional natural heritage. The search for excellence, without compromise: this has been the philosophy of the estate for several decades now, thanks to an exceptional terroir and an approach based on precision and innovation. It is today in the hands of Matthieu Bordes and his teams that the estate continues its quest for meaning and excellence in order to offer racy, elegant wines with a unique character, worthy of the greatest Saint-Julien.

A word about “La Semaine des Primeurs”

“To present the Pomerol wines of the 2021 vintage, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux has chosen Château Gazin. We are honored to welcome the professionals and amateurs who have come to taste this new vintage. Especially since in previous years, because of the Covid pandemic, this welcome was not possible.  There are many people who, eager to return to Bordeaux, aspire this year to revive the tradition of primeur wines initiated by the Union. We are happy that this reunion is organized in Gazin. Our guests will have the opportunity, in addition to tasting the Pomerol members of the Union, to discover or revisit a family vineyard where great wines are produced.”

CHÂTEAU GAZIN – POMEROL

The vineyard of Château Gazin -24 hectares of vines- is located east of Pomerol, on the high terrace of the appellation, adjacent to Saint-Emilion. Its terroir of gravel and especially clay (smectites) is a privileged place for the expression of the merlot grape variety (90%). Blended with some Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) and Cabernet Franc (3%), the Merlot grapes blossom here in a smooth and round way, giving priority to the finesse and elegance of the great wines of Bordeaux. This vineyard has been owned by the Bailliencourt dit Courcol family since 1918. This family, helped by a team led by Mr. Mickaël Obert, perpetuates the traditions of Bordeaux viticulture while respecting nature and the new environmental standards.

A word about “La Semaine des Primeurs”

“It is an honor for Château Giscours to welcome the properties of the Margaux appellation. Moreover, hospitality has always been at the heart of Giscours’ values. We are looking forward to welcoming professionals and journalists to discover this vintage.”

CHÂTEAU GISCOURS – MARGAUX

Château Giscours, Grand Cru Classé, is one of the very few properties to have a vineyard almost in one piece in the heart of a preserved ecosystem of 300 hectares of meadows and forests. The estate of 100 hectares in the Margaux appellation and 60 in the Haut-Médoc is ideally located on the magnificent plateaus of Labarde and Arsac. But that’s not all, around Château Giscours, a whole life is organized. Between the vines and the cellar, the winegrowers come and go according to the rhythm of the place and the seasons. Every day, visitors discover a working farm, meadows where livestock graze, and a vegetable garden to ensure maximum autonomy and supply the château’s kitchen with local produce. A huge park is like a forest of wonders, planted with rare species and a rich biodiversity. To discover Giscours is to appreciate a great wine, the third great classified growth, but it is also to live a unique experience, surprising and connected to nature.

CHÂTEAU LATOUR-MARTILLAC – PESSAC-LEOGNAN

Château Latour-Martillac owes its name to the tower that adorns its main courtyard, a remnant of a fortress built in the 12th century by Montesquieu’s ancestors. Owned by the Kressmann family since 1930, it was in 1934 that the famous “gold and sand barred” label was created and is still used today. The estate is now run by Tristan and Loïc Kressmann, who continue the family tradition of always giving priority to quality over yield. Recognized by the Graves classification established in 1953, the white and red wines of Château Latour-Martillac are today among the references of the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

A word about “La Semaine des Primeurs”

Welcoming guests to the estate is a key part of the Kressmann family’s DNA. We are delighted to host the 2021 primeur tastings at the property this year. This edition will be very special as our friends from Sauternes will be tasting their wines with us for the first time. Thus, all the great wines of the Graves region will be presented in primeur in the same place. These Primeur tastings will also allow us to present our new technical installations to our clients and partners, which we have not been able to do for the last two years because of the sanitary context.

CHÂTEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE – PAUILLAC

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a Second Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. Located in the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc, its vineyard today covers 102 hectares and benefits from an exceptional terroir, ideally situated on the banks of the Gironde. In three centuries, only two families have worked for the reputation of the Château and its wines. Since 2007, Champagne Louis Roederer, a family business run by Frédéric Rouzaud, has presided over the destiny of Pichon Comtesse with the ambition to continue the work of this jewel of Pauillac. Harmony, sobriety and elegance have guided the restructuring of this estate, which has acquired technical installations that combine tradition and modernity, in order to perpetuate the excellence of its wines with ever greater precision.

A word about “La Semaine des Primeurs”

“More than an interest for Pichon Comtesse, it is above all the pleasure and joy of its teams to be able to welcome back the many customers of our Great Bordeaux Wines after a long two-year hiatus! To celebrate this new vintage together and to let all those who have not yet had the opportunity to discover the important transformations undertaken on this beautiful property since the arrival of Champagne Louis Roederer. Cheers!”