Château La Croix Taillefer is producing some of best expressions of Merlot in Bordeaux, bursting with fruit, freshness, elegance, and energy.
Château La Croix Taillefer is owned by the Rivière family, holds 5.5 hectares (13.6 acres) of land in the famed appellation of Pomerol, including some of the oldest Merlot vineyards in the Bordeaux region. The Château also owns 13 hectares (32.1 acres) in the bordering appellation of Lalande de Pomerol under the label Château Vieux-Rivière, and 16.5 hectares (40.8 acres) in appellation of Bordeaux Supérieur under the label Château Moulin de Sud. The Rivière family has been involved in winemaking in Pomerol since the 1970s, with son Romain Rivière taking over primary winemaking duties. The vineyards consist primarily of Merlot vines with the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The ratio in Pomerol is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.
Romain Rivière has been head winemaker at Château La Croix Taillefer since 1998. In 2015, he brought on an assistant winemaker in Davy Chodjai. The two focus on organic farming and organic winemaking. The wines at Château La Croix Taillefer are vinified in stainless steel vats before being transferred to oak barrels for maturation. No chemical additives are used in the wine making process. The wines are cold-soaked before Romain allows the wine to begin fermentation themselves. The winemaking team at Château La Croix Taillefer takes what nature gives them and do not try and direct the wine to a particular end result. They are not chasing points or ratings from famous reviewers. These wines are true reflections of their terroir.
ORGANIC FARMING
In 2003 Château La Croix Taillefer began the transition to organic farming, acting as pioneers for organic farming in Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol, earning the European Union organic certification in 2005. One château had previously attempted organic farming in Pomerol prior to Romain converting the château, but it was Château La Croix Taillefer that made organic farming stick in Pomerol and Lelande de Pomerol. No pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers are used in the vineyard. During the winemaking process, low amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) are used and no chemical additives are used to enhance the wine. The organic process at Château La Croix Taillefer creates wines that are bursting with freshness and deep aromatic profiles.
And very recently, Château La Croix Taillefer has been recognized and awarded Two Gold Medal by Business News Japan Awards 2020.
Château Moulin du Sud BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR ROUGE/ Merlot, cabernet franc-2014
Awarded Gold by Business News Japan
Chateau Moulin du Sud is the entry-level wine of the estate from the regional appellation of Bordeaux Supérieur. Chateau Moulin du Sud is a wine meant to be consumed young – it isn’t grown on terroir that allows for long aging. This wine is fruit forward, but still has both a good structure and pure freshness that is the hallmark of Romain’s wines.
Château Moulin du Sud BORDEAUX BLANC/ Sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris, sémillon- 2018
Awarded Gold by Business News Japan
White Bordeaux was once one of the most popular white wines in Germany. That was long ago. Today hardly a rooster crows after you. Cold fermentation, enzymes and modern cellar technology have made them too boring. Drink one, know everyone. The fate of so many modern white wines today. Uniformity instead of identity.
Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The classic white Bordeaux cuvée. Here, however, finally fermented spontaneously in a non-technical manner in a stainless steel tank. The spontaneous fermentation of wild yeast can be clearly felt in the fragrance. It makes the wine grassy complex and excitingly flowery, more spicy than fruity, quite demanding for the price. Remarkably salty on the tongue due to the nutrient supply of organic cultivation. Juicy and mild in the effect, mouth filling creamy on the palate. In every respect it is pleasantly different from what white Bordeaux is so often today. Dry and appetizingly bitter in taste and effect, subtly bitter due to the long contact with yeast, therefore mouth-watering and stimulating in the drink.
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