Haut Médoc AOC Cru Bourgeois 2018, Chateau du Retout
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Helene Soual-Kopp is a rising star in the appellation, stamping her personality and style onto everything she does. The reviews speak for themselves.
What the critics say
Decanter February 2023 (for the 2018 vintage), VA 97 points
"Elegant and perfumed yet powerful nose, notes of fresh fig, plum and blackcurrant, violet and lily. Poised, intense but refined. Stunning!" VA Decanter
"Aromatic and expressive, alive and upfront. A celebration of cherry fruit ripe, fresh, potent with cherry stones, liquorice and graphite."
89-92 in Wine Spectator “Tangy red currant and damson fruit, lingering through the finish. Very solid, with good typicity.”
In the glass
Deep ruby colour with violet tinge. Very expressive, elegant, wild blackberry, prune and griotte cherry character. Superb balance with a concentrated and dense finish along with fig, sweet spices, and a marshmallow and liquorice touch. Long, dense finish with soft and complex black fruits and hints of spice. Exceptional value for money.
Helene Soual-Kopp and her husband Frederic work her ancestral vineyard on the border of Saint Julien, and on a similar terroir, made up of white pebbles on clay and chalk with deep Pyrenees gravel. She only uses the best grapes out of 32 hectares to produce 90,000 bottles annually. The vines are worked entirely by hand. Grass grown between the vines and minimal human intervention including compost made from old vines, horse manure and natural fertiliser. No chemicals are used. Grapes are selected on the table, and traditional temperature-controlled maceration takes place over 4 weeks, with stirring as slow as possible. Only the first juice from maceration is used. Light, slow filtration by drawing off. The wine is aged in fine grained French oak.
About the vineyard
Rising star Helene Soual-Kopp and her husband Frederic work her ancestral vineyard on the border of Saint Julien. She uses natural, organic farming methods - although not certified - including the use of compost made from old vines, horse manure and natural fertiliser. No chemicals are used.
Mixed Cases
Your Perfect Wine Mix: Artisanal, Award-Winning, and Always a Great Deal
