Château La Tour du Pin Figeac (Moueix)

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Château La Tour du Pin Figeac (Moueix), later Château La Tour du Pin for a brief period, is a former Bordeaux wine estate in the appellation Saint-Émilion which produced wine up until 2011. The estate was purchased by owners of neighbouring Château Cheval Blanc in 2006, who managed the estate as a separate property up until 2011. The estate in effect ceased to exist after this, being absorbed into its grander neighbour. [1]

Contents

History

Until 1879, this property was a part of the Figeac estate, acquired to form Château La Tour Figeac, half of which was further sold and divided into two parts, this property and that of Château La Tour du Pin Figeac (Giraud-Bélivier). [2] This estate, the smallest of the three, was bought in 1947 by Antoine Moueix, cousin of J. P. Moueix. [2] The property remained in the hands of the Moueix family until 2006, when it was bought by the owners of Château Cheval Blanc, who adopted the name Château La Tour du Pin. The last vintage made was 2011. The best area of the vineyard (3.5ha) has been absorbed into the Château Cheval Blanc vineyard, and the remainder is currently used to make generic Saint-Émilion. [3]

The estate was rated Grand Cru Classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine, but lost this status in 2006, [4] only to have the verdict reversed in 2008. [5] The estate did not re-apply for the 2012 classification. [6]


Production

The vineyards extended 9 hectares (22 acres), and was considered the more gravelly of the three La Tour properties, closer to the conditions of neighbours Figeac and Cheval Blanc. [2]

The Grand vin was typically a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, as was the estate's second wine, Clos La Fleur Figeac.

Related Research Articles

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Château Cheval Blanc, is a wine producer in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux wine region of France. As of 2012, its wine is one of only four to receive the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) status in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine, along with Château Angélus, Château Ausone, and Château Pavie.

Classification of Saint-Émilion wine

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Château Figeac winery

Château Figeac is a wine estate in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux. It is the largest estate in Saint-Émilion, with 40 hectares of vineyards. Due to its soil, which is dominated by gravel, it is planted in grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Cabernet Franc (35%), and Merlot (30%). Most other Saint-Émilion wines are dominated by Merlot, and Figeac therefore bears a certain semblance to the wines of Médoc and Graves despite being situated on Bordeaux's right bank. The wine, which is one of the most famous of Saint-Émilion, is aged in 100% new oak barrels.

Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only four wines, along with Château Angélus, Château Cheval Blanc and Château Pavie to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located on the Right Bank of France's Bordeaux wine region in the Gironde department, close to the town of Saint-Émilion.

Bordeaux wine regions wine growing areas in France

The wine regions of Bordeaux are a large number of wine growing areas, differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the overarching wine region of Bordeaux, centred on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole area of the Gironde department of Aquitaine.

Château Bélair-Monange, named until 2007 Château Belair, is a Bordeaux vineyard from the appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion, in the department Gironde. The estate was considered a leading producer of Saint-Émilion until the 20th century.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, formerly Château Beauséjour-Dr-Fagouet, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Right Bank of France's Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion, in the department Gironde.

Clos de lOratoire

Clos de l'Oratoire is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Grand cru classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion, in the department Gironde.

Château Fonroque is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Grand cru classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion, in the department Gironde.

Château Quinault is a winery from the appellation Saint-Émilion within the city of Libourne, producing Quinault L'Enclos, a Bordeaux wine counted among the Bordeaux Right Bank "supercuvées" or "vins de garage". The estate also produces a second wine, Lafleur de Quinault, and a special cuvée called L'Absolut de Quinault.

Château Monbousquet is a Bordeaux wine which has the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Grand cru classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, in the department Gironde.

Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, or JP Moueix, is a Bordeaux négociant house founded by Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1937, situated on the Quai du Priourat in Libourne, in the Bordeaux wine region of France. While dealing in wholesale distribution of numerous Right Bank wines, the company also acts as a bulk grape merchant, operates exclusive distribution for select châteaux, and manages its own portfolio of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion estates. The company has 120 employees.

Château la Tour du Pin Figeac may refer to two Bordeaux wine estates in Saint-Émilion:

Château La Tour du Pin Figeac is a Bordeaux wine estate in the appellation Saint-Émilion, and is currently owned by the Giraud family.

Château La Tour Figeac is a Bordeaux wine estate in the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Grand cru classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine, and is currently owned by the Rettenmaier family. It is situated between Château Cheval Blanc and Château Figeac near the border to Pomerol.

Pomerol AOC Bordeaux wine appellation

Pomerol is a French wine-growing commune and Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) within the Libournais in Bordeaux. The wine produced here is predominately from Merlot with Cabernet Franc playing a supporting role. Unlike most other Bordeaux communes, there is no real village of Pomerol, although there is a church. The houses are set among the vineyards.

Saint-Émilion AOC French protected geographic wine appellation

Saint-Émilion is an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne. Saint-Émilion is registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Thierry Manoncourt was a French winery owner of the Grand Cru estate Château Figeac in Bordeaux, and for many decades a major figure of Bordeaux and the Saint-Émilion appellation.

References

  1. "The Winecellar Insider".
  2. 1 2 3 Peppercorn, David (2003). Bordeaux. London: Mitchell Beazley. p. 465. ISBN   1-84000-927-6.
  3. https://www.bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk/blog/chateau-la-tour-du-pins-disappearance/%5B%5D
  4. Brook, Stephen, Decanter.com (2006-09-08). "New St Emilion classification: surprises but no shocks". Archived from the original on 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  5. Macle, Diana, Wine Spectator (July 29, 2008). "French Government Reinstates St.-Emilion Classification—Sort Of". Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  6. "The Winecellar Insider".