Always in search of the best terroirs, Dominique Raimond, renowned winemaker of Blaye area and Château Montfollet owner, bought this wonderful property in Côtes de Bourg AOC in 2019. Located on a splendid plateau of clay and red gravels, the estate has been in Organic Farming since 2000. The vineyard is south exposed and goes along the Gironde estuary, which gives it a privileged location. The temperate climate and the wind protect itself from the risk of hail and ensure a perfect health and an unequalled tannic finesse. The 11 hectares of vines are densely planted as in Saint Emilion (1.50m x 1m).

TERROIR

Appellation

In front of the Medoc peninsula and its Grand Crus, just across the Gironde estuary, welcome to «Bordeaux’s little Switzerland», the Côtes de Bourg AOC, a unique topography. This name reflects the appellation’s hilly topography, since the French word «côtes» means «slopes». It’s a concentration of the greatest terroirs of Bordeaux: a limestone bedrock which can be as much as 20 meters thick, a thick layer of clay cover or red gravel on the heights.

Blend

85% Merlot

15% Malbec

WINEMAKING & VINIFICATION

The management of the vineyard has been done in Organic Agriculture since 2000. The natural grass is kept between the rows and the ground under the vine-plants is worked mechanically. Here are the different steps in the vineyard : double guyot pruning, disbudding, thinning out of leaves on the east side (sunrise) to spread out the clusters at best for optimal ripening. The property is today also certified HEV 3rd level (High Environmental Value, the highest level of French environmental certification for farms).

The harvest is vinified (Vinification Intégrale with entire bunches) in egg-shaped barrels for a gentle extraction without mechanical pumping-over, such as an «infusion» and then, is aged in amphoraes and oak barrels for 12 months before the final blend and the bottling.

TASTING NOTES

An explosion of fruit with a hint of woody notes, a round, fine and smooth mouth, Château Puy d’Amour Grain de Folie is made to be served with a grilled steak, a red meat stew or refined cheeses.