The 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasyPR and WineTours included several lunches and dinners at prestigious châteaux. I have to say, they were all spectacular and I am not able to determine, which one was the most impressive. They were all very impressive. The first one in this series was a dinner at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint-Emilion.
Proprietor Count Stephan von Neipperg welcomed us and joined us for the reception, but was not able to stay for the dinner. Magali Malet showed us around and joined us for dinner.
See also:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Château Canon La Gaffeliere Tour
We started with a vineyard and winery tour of Château Canon La Gaffelière.
Château Canon La Gaffelière is located on the outskirts of the medieval town of Saint-Emilion, at the southern foot of the slope. The 19.5 hectare vineyard has a complex, outstanding terroir of clay-limestone and clay-sand soil. The topsoil is primarily sandy, increasingly so as one moves away from the slope. The vines, an average of 45 years old, are deeply rooted in the soil and absorb all the goodness in the terroir. They are mostly replaced individually rather than plot by plot (which maintains the average age). The last major replanting dates back to 1986.
The mixture of grape varities cultivated on the wine estate (55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is rather untypical in comparison to the rest of the appellation. This identity, strongly influenced by Cabernet, gives the Canon La Gaffelière wines an outright complex character.
Since last year, Canon La Gaffelière belongs to one of the 15 Premier Grand Cru Classé B châteaux in Saint-Emilion. The promotion of Château Canon La Gaffelière in the classification of the Saint-Emilion appellation last year was not really surprising, yet an overdue acknowledgement for Mr. Neipperg.
The von Neipperg Family in Germany, Austria and France
Proprietor Count Stefan von Neipperg hails from the German wine region of Württemberg where his family has maintained its existing vineyards since the 15th century and bottles its wine under the family label, Weingut des Grafen von Neipperg. In fact, the von Neipperg counts are descended from a noble line dating back to the Holy Roman Empire. The first record of the Count von Neipperg goes as far back as the 12th century.
Count Joseph Hubert von Neipperg branched out in 1971 and acquired 4 St. Emilion estates in 1971: La Mondotte, Château Canon La Gaffelière, Clos de l'Oratoire, and Château Peyraud. Since 1984, Count Joseph Hubert’s son Count Stephan has been in charge of these 4 estates. Moreover, he expanded the family’s French holdings further and also entered into a joint venture in Bulgaria.
Here is a list of all Count Stephan von Neipperg estates:
La Mondotte, AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Premier Grand Cru Classé
Château Canon La Gaffelière, AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Premier Grand Cru Classé
Clos de l'Oratoire, AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Grand Cru Classé
Château Peyreau, AOC Saint-Émilion
Château d'Aiguilhe, AOC Cotes de Castillon
Clos Marsalette, AOC Pessac-Léognan
Château Guiraud, AOC Sauternes, Premier Cru Classé 1855
Château Soleil. AOC Puisseguin Saint-Emilion
Bulgaria: Count Stephan von Neipperg, in conjunction with the banker Karl-Heinz Hauptmann, was one of the first people to invest in the wine sector in Bulgaria - in the Bessa Valley, in the Pazardjik region, 135 km southeast of Sofia.
See also:
A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Count Stefan von Neipperg in France
Stephan Graf von Neipperg was borne at the family estate in Schwaigern. As a young man, he had no intention of getting involved in wine. He studied politics and business administration in Paris. Later, after having decided to change course, he also studied winemaking in Montpelier.
In 1983, Stephan Graf von Neipperg Neipperg moved with his German wife Sigweis to St. Emilion. At that point, the French holdings of the von Neipperg family consisted of the four estates his father had bought in 1971. Since then Stephan Graf von Neipperg he expanded the family’s French holdings further and also entered into a joint venture in Bulgaria. He has become one of the Right Bank's most successful winemakers.
On that very successful route, Stephan Graf von Neipperg linked his fortunes to Stéphane Derenoncourt, a Normandy millworker's son who had never seen a grapevine before hitchhiking to Bordeaux in 1982, but taught himself enology and has since confounded traditionalists with his winemaking.
In 1988, Stephan Graf von Neipperg instituted a green harvest, dropping fruit in June to gain depth and ripeness in September. He stopped using chemical fertilizers and insecticides in 1993 as he edged toward a more biodynamic approach. "Just like 70 years ago," Stephan Graf von Neipperg. "The insects eat each other." He harvested later than his neighbors and aged his cuvées entirely in new oak.
Reception
We started the dinner with a Bollinger Champagne and were joined by Stephan Graf von Neipperg.
Dinner
Wok de Légumes en Salade, Œuf de Caille, Suprême de Volaille à la Citronnelle
Confit de Canard Laqué au Caramel d’Epices Douces Méli-Mélo de Légumes Croquants
Assortiment de Fromages
Tarte aux Framboises
Café
The Wines
Château d’Aiguilhe 1999
Château d'Aiguilhe, AOC Cotes de Castillon
Château d'Aiguilhe is located on hills overlooking the Right Bank of the Dordogne River, on the border of the Côtes de Castillon appellation.
This 110 hectare estate has 50 hectares of vines, which are planted exclusively on the upper part of the hills. The vineyard has excellent natural drainage and south-facing sun exposure. The minerals in the clay-limestone soil account for a wine of both power and finesse in which the roundness of Merlot (80%) marries beautifully with the concentration and complexity of Cabernet Franc (20%).
Comte Stefan von Neipperg purchased the estate in 1998. He invested millions of euros in a state-of-the-art facility at Château d'Aiguilhe, in the previously unnoticed Côtes de Castillon appellation, then dared to market the wine like a St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classé. The success of d’Aiguilhe is credited with putting Cotes de Castillon on the map.
Clos de l’Oratoire 2000
Clos de l'Oratoire, AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Grand Cru Classé
Clos de l'Oratoire is located on Saint-Emilion's north-east slope. The 10 hectares of vines grow on Fronsac molasse covering a layer of sand with a clay subsoil. This terroir is ideally suited to the blend of Merlot (90%), Cabernet Franc (5%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) grapes. Merlot contributes roundness and opulence to the wine, whereas Cabernet Franc is responsible for power, aromatic complexity, and length.
In 1991, Stephan Graf von Neipperg was given control of Clos de l'Oratoire, and he subsequently bought the remaining 30 percent of the property from other investors.
Château Canon La Gaffeliere 2000
Château Canon La Gaffelière, AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Premier Grand Cru Classé
La Mondotte 2001
La Mondotte, AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Premier Grand Cru Classé
The 4.5-hectare estate, founded in the 19th century, is situated on the most eastern plateau of Saint-Emilion and was purchased in 1971 by the family of the Counts of Neipperg, at the same time as the Château Canon La Gaffelière. Even though La Mondotte used to be in the shadow of Canon La Gaffelière as long as to the middle of the 1990ies, it has benefited to the same extent of the philosophy of Stephan von Neipperg and his teams.
Excellent hydric regulation encourages the vines to sink their roots deep into the soil. The superb sun exposure and fine natural drainage due to the steep slope make this a very early-maturing terroir. The vines are an average of 50 years old and the vineyard contains only premium grape varieties (75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc). Ripening, especially of Merlot, is almost invariably early and complete.
The recent admission of Château La Mondotte - which sixteen years ago used to be almost unknown on the market - in the extremely closed circle of Premiers Grand Crus Classés is extraordinary.
Chateau Guiraud 1998
Château Guiraud, AOC Sauternes, Premier Cru Classé 1855
This gem of an estate in Sauternes dates back to the 15th century. The vineyard currently covers 100 hectares. Château Guiraud is known for its organic approach to viticulture.
11,000 cases made. The blend of 65 percent Sémillon and 35 percent Sauvignon Blanc comes from 35- to 40-year-old vines.
Four partners - Robert Peugeot (of Peugeot automobiles), Olivier Bernard (Domaine de Chevalier), Stephan von Neipperg (Canon-La Gaffelière and others) and Xavier Planty, the estate’s longtime general manager - acquired Château Guiraud in 2006.
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