Château Sansonnet 2021

A Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé captivating in its finesse and complexity

The estate

Located to the northeast of Saint-Émilion, Château Sansonnet joined the select group of Saint-Émilion Grands Crus Classés in 2012. This beautiful estate underwent a comprehensive improvement plan across the entire vineyard to further enhance the quality of its wines. In 2009, Marie-Bénédicte Lefévère took over the management of the estate and leads it with ambition, passion, and determination to elevate the cru to the pinnacle of Saint-Émilion appellation wines.

The vineyard

The Château Sansonnet 2021 is a Saint-Émilion wine produced from a single 6.96-hectare vineyard. The vines, averaging 35 years of age, are planted on a clay-limestone terroir with astéries limestone on the appellation’s famous plateau. In a holistic approach to environmental respect, the vines undergo responsible phytosanitary treatments combined with soil tillage. Furthermore, the Château Sansonnet vineyard is involved in an SME approach and certified HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) Level 3.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage was marked by particularly unstable weather conditions. Thanks to its geographical location (92m altitude), the vineyard was not impacted by frost episodes. Subsequently, although the strong pressure of downy mildew was controlled thanks to the rigor of the estate team, shatter recorded on the old Merlots affected yields.

Winemaking and aging

Hand-harvested in crates. Manual sorting of clusters followed by density sorting of the berries. Whole berries are gravity-fed into double-walled conical vats, thermoregulated wooden vats, and 500-liter barrels for whole-berry vinification. Cold pre-fermentation maceration, extraction by punching down. Malolactic fermentation in barrels. The 16-month aging is carried out in 225- and 500-liter barrels, 20 hL wooden foudres, 2 amphorae of 7.5 hL, and 80% new French oak barrels.

Blend

Merlot (91%)
Cabernet sauvignon (6%)
Cabernet franc (3%). 

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Sansonnet 2021

Tasting

Of great elegance, this 2021 vintage seduces with its aromatic richness, freshness, and balance.