Chateau Corbin Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2013

Château Corbin is a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé estate four kilometers (2.5 miles) northwest of Saint-Emilion town. The estate has been in the Cruse family since 1924 and has been a Grand Cru Classé since the initial classification in 1955. It is currently overseen by Annabelle Cruse-Bardinet – the fourth generation of Cruses at the property.

Château Corbin’s vineyards cover 13 hectares (32 acres) close to appellation border with Pomerol – the likes of Pétrus and La Conseillante lie only two kilometers (1.2 miles) to the west. Saint-Emilion’s iconic Château Cheval-Blanc is a similar distance southwest.

The vineyards are predominantly planted to Merlot (80 percent) with the remainder given over to its classic appellation stablemate, Cabernet Franc. The vineyard straddles two broad soil types: sandy gravels surrounding the cha^teau on top of iron-rich red clays; with deeper clays towards the Pomerol end of the estate.

The estate produces three wines: the Château Corbin grand vin and the second wines, Divin de Corbin and XX de Corbin. Unusually for the appellation, the second wines are not labelled Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (as is want to occur with Grand Cru Classé properties), with Cruse-Bardinet opting instead to release them under the broader Saint-Emilion title.

The wines are fermented in concrete vats before being aged in French oak barriques for around 18 months in the case of the grand vin. The second wines are generally released a year after harvest.

The estate is one of the oldest in the appellation although the original, and sizeable, Corbin holding is now considerably fragmented – as evidenced by the likes of Château Corbin Michotte, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Grand Corbin Manuel – all neighbors.

The Cruse name is well known in Bordeaux circles and Annabelle’s cousin, Emmanuel Cruse, heads up the Margaux third grown Château d’Issan estate in the Médoc.

Château Corbin 2013 is made from a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. It offers gourmet aromas of raspberry and blueberry , which gives it a rather seductive side. The whole is medium-bodied, pure and balanced.