Domaine de l'Aurage 2021

Characteristics and tasting tips for Domaine de l'Aurage 2021

Tasting

Appearance

The wine has a deep garnet color, enhanced by purple highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals beautiful aromatic complexity with notes of ripe black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry, plum), accompanied by nuances of cherry. Secondary aromas of coffee, mocha and licorice mingle with distinctive mineral touches. Toasted and vanilla notes, subtly integrated, complete this bouquet which gains complexity upon aeration, unveiling fine spices.

Palate

The attack is immediate and seductive. The palate offers beautiful density and concentration while maintaining remarkable elegance. The tannic structure stands out for its silky and refined texture, with a delicate grain testifying to careful extraction. The well-balanced acidity brings freshness and liveliness, contributing to the excellent aging potential. The finish stretches out with persistence, leaving mineral and spicy notes on the palate.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs perfectly with grilled or roasted red meats, such as a rib steak or beef fillet. It also elegantly accompanies duck and game, as well as more elaborate dishes such as stews or mushroom-based dishes. Matured cheeses such as Brie, Coulommiers or hard cheeses also make excellent pairings.

Service and storage

Domaine de l'Aurage 2021 is ideally served at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. It is recommended to open the bottle about one hour before serving to allow the wine to fully express itself. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2033, or even beyond under optimal cellaring conditions.

A Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux of remarkable intensity and great finesse

The estate

Acquired in 2006 by Caroline and Louis Mitjavile, Domaine de l'Aurage spans approximately twenty hectares in Saint-Genès-de-Castillon. Formerly known as Château Cadet, the estate was renamed in 2009 after extensive renovation work on the facilities and a complete overhaul of the vineyard management. Louis Mitjavile, son of François Mitjavile (owner of the famous Château Tertre Roteboeuf), applies the family philosophy here based on careful observation of the terroir and a non-interventionist approach. The estate today produces wines of remarkable intensity and finesse, ranking among the references of the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux appellation.

The vineyard

The Domaine de l'Aurage vineyard enjoys a privileged geographical location in the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, at the eastern limit of the Bordeaux Right Bank. In a single block, a rare configuration allowing for homogeneous management, the terroir is composed of clay-limestone soils characteristic of the best Castillon terroirs, sharing the same geological characteristics as the neighboring Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé estates. This composition naturally regulates the vine's water supply and forces the roots to dig deep, imparting minerality and complexity to the wines. The planting density reaches 6,000 vines per hectare, favoring concentration. The vines, averaging forty years of age, are managed using sustainable agriculture with permanent grass cover between the rows. Harvesting is exclusively manual with rigorous selection of the grapes.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Bordeaux was characterized by contrasting conditions. The winter experienced a frost episode of rare intensity affecting many French vineyards. A milder spring allowed for flowering at the end of May, followed by particularly rainy months of June and July. Meteorological instability was observed between mid-July and mid-August. Despite these climatic challenges, the vintage produced wines of beautiful freshness with moderate alcohol levels, favoring balance over power.

Winemaking and aging

After manual harvesting and rigorous selection, the Domaine de l'Aurage 2021 grapes are destemmed then macerate for about four weeks, allowing for progressive and controlled extraction of tannins and aromatic compounds. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, without the addition of commercial yeasts. Malolactic fermentation takes place naturally. Aging lasts eighteen months in French oak barrels, mostly new, coming exclusively from the Radoux cooperage with which the Mitjavile family has collaborated for decades. The wine is neither fined nor filtered before bottling, thus preserving all its aromatic complexity.

Grape Varieties

Merlot (95%)
Cabernet Franc (5%)