Chateau Haut Grelot Cotes de Blaye
Château Haut-Grelot was established in 1920 in the village of Les Grelots by the Bonneau family. Today Château Haut-Grelot comprises 58 hectares of vineyards and is run by Céline and Julien who uphold the family tradition.
The vineyards are made up of sandy-gravel on the hillsides bordering the Gironde Estuary and sand-clay-silt on the hillsides further inland. Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux benefits from an ideal microclimate where there is a high level of sunshine and enough rain to guarantee the perfect environment for grape production. As a result the reds are fruity and concentrated and the whites are fresh, vibrant and delicate. The vines are cultivated with great care, using precise, proven techniques, de-budding, side-shoot pruning, defoliation, low yields and green harvesting, which are all vital to producing the desired fruit.
As for the wines, the red, made from 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, spends some time in oak barrels creating rich, plummy fruit supported by silky tannins. The white is made up of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle and 5% Semillon and is elegant and crisp with grapefruit and exotic aromas. Unusually for French wines, the grape varieties are on the front labels.
Julien Bonneau - awarded the title of Best Young Talent of the Bordeaux Wine business