We left Bordeaux City in the morning towards the West in order to visit an oyster farmer at the Basin de Arcachon, followed by lunch at Pinasse Café in Cap Ferret, right on the bay. From there, we drove through the Appellation Médoc to its northern tip for a wine dinner with Stefan and Heike Paeffgen, Vignobles Paeffgen, in Bégadan. After dinner, we drove to Hotel/Restaurant Le Vignoble-France et Angleterre in Pauillac, where we stayed for the night.
Stefan Paeffgen is a career changer who has been making wine only for a few years. Stefan Paeffgen holds a Doctorate in agricultural science and in another life worked in the agriculture industry in his home country Germany and in Scandinavia. He always had a passion for the wines of the Médoc and at age 46, he was at a crossroad and made the decision to go back to practical agriculture. He searched for a winery and finally settled in Bégadan, north of St.-Estèphe.
Today, his Vignobles Paeffgen comprise 4 châteaux: Château Le Reysse and Château Lassus as well as Château Clos du Moulin and Château Moulin de Lestagne.
We had a lovely charcuterie and cheese dinner in the front yard of Château Lassus, with Stefan and Heike Paeffgen (and Heike’s mother, who was visiting). Before dinner, Stefan showed us around. The group had a great time.
Stefan Paeffgen
Stefan Paeffgen grew up on a farm in Germany, which his older brother took over, when their father retired. Stefan had to look for something different, although he would have loved to take over the family’s property.
Stefan studied agriculture in München, Stuttgart, Wisconsin, Paris and then worked for a large fertilizer company. He moved up in the company and made good money. There were mergers and was restructuring. At some point, he was offered a golden handshake and started to look for a winery he could take over. In that period, Stefan, his wife and the 3 children were living in Belgium, near Brussels.
In November 2010, he signed a sales contract with Patrick Chaumont, the owner of Vignobles Chaumant (Château Le Reysse and Château Lassus) and moved to Bégadan, initially without his family; by now they are all in Bégadan. In 2012, he also acquired Château Clos du Moulin and Château Moulin de Lestagne from Michel Boyer.
Patrick Chaumont stayed on for 2 years to help. They cooperated wonderfully and Stefan learned to make wines in the traditional style. Patrick Chaumont still visits every now and then to see how things are going.
Château Le Reysse
Patrick Chaumont founded Château Le Reysse in 1983. He withdrew the Château Le Reysse vineyards from the co-op and started to vinify the wines himself. (Château Lassus – see below - remained in the co-op). When his son married into a winery in the southern part of Pauillac, he decided to sell Château Le Reysse (and Château Lassus).
4.5 hectares in Bégadan, partially bordering with the vineyards of Rollan de By and La Tour de By
20.000 – 26.000 bottles, which Stefan Paeffgen sells through the old channels of Patrick Chaumont, but increasingly also through his new channels, primarily in Germany
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot
Château Lassus
Along with Château Le Reysse, Stefan Paeffgen bought Château Lassus from Patrick Chaumont. The wine is sold en bloc to a Negoçiant in Bordeaux. Here is what the Negoçiant says: Château Lassus, the Chaumont family property since 1967, was mentioned in the first edition of "Bordeaux et ses Vins" edited by Charles Cocks in 1850 and was already listed in the Féret 1939 edition as it had been classified Cru Bourgeois in 1932 for its "terroir" and quality of the wines produced. The estate was taken over by the Paeffgen family in 2010 who has realized large investments since to help the cru maintain its renowned status. The quality focus is realized by sustainable efforts in the vineyards and by strong selection process. Today, Stefan Paeffgen, passionate by wines and fallen in love with this charming property, is in charge of it.
Soil : Clay-gravels / Surface : 25 hectares
Average age of the vineyard : 35 years
Location : The vineyard is located between the Bégadan village and the Gironde River in the Médoc.
Grape varieties : 50 % Merlot / 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is vinified by the traditional method, in thermo-regulated concrete and stainless steel vats, after a period of pre-fermentation maceration. Vertical pressing. Ageing for 12 months in new barrels, second-fill and third-fill barrels.
Deep color with garnet highlights. Very aromatic bouquet with touch of blackcurrant and spices. Superb, dense attack with a slightly jammy fruit. The relatively powerful tannic structure shows supple tannins.
Château Clos du Moulin
The roots of Château Clos du Moulin can be traced back to the 19th century. The Boyer family, the former owner, used to live there. Château Clos du Moulin is also a Cru Bourgeois in the original classification of 1932. The Cru Bourgeois status was however lost in 2003. Stephan Paeffgen was successful in regaining it in 2011, after he had taken over.
11 hectares in St. Christoly and Couqueques
45.000 – 56.000 bottles
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot
Château Moulin de Lestagne
3 hectares in St. Christoly
20.000 bottles
20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 80% Merlot
The Wines Stefan Poured
2012 Château Clos du Moulin Cru Bourgeois
Robert M. Parker April 2015, 87 Points Drink 2015 - 2021
Made up of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this 2012 is excellent. Deep ruby/plum/purple, with sweet cassis, black cherry and plum, the wine is medium-bodied, has impressive concentration, sweet tannin and is a sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
2012 Château Le Reysse
27.000 bottles
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
20 months in barrique
Yves Beck: Le Reysse 2012, AOC Médoc Violet intensif. Nez de bonne intensité, fin et complexe. Notes de cannelle, clou de girofle, cacao et fruits noirs (mûre, myrtille, cassis). En bouche l'attaque est minérale avec des notes de graphite. Le corps est légèrement gras et la structure se révèle tardivement. Les tannins sont granuleux, élégants. Beau potentiel de garde. 89-90/100. 2018-2032
2010 Château Le Reysse
The first vintage that Stefan accompanied from start to bottling was the 2010. The 2010er Château le Reysse was sold at Euro 9,95 en primeur. I recently bought a case of the 2010 for Euro 19 per bottle in Frankfurt am Main.
25.000 bottles
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot
12 months in barrique
Lyle Fass: The 2010 Le Reysse has a cooling mineral nose with astonishing depth and purity which gives off an impression of amazing freshness. The palate is pure pleasure with oodles of blue and black fruits, wonderful acids, grippy forceful tannins and a real sense of place. Just an amazingly complex, powerful and delicate bottle of Bordeaux. You also get cigar, leather, tobacco and some nice wet earth as well. I can see this aging for up to 20 years. 2010 is such a great vintage as it allies finesse, power and freshness all at once. Freshness is so key in Bordeaux as wines can tend to be lactic, oaky and rich due to a general change in winemaking over the last 20-30 years.
Yves Beck: Le Reysse 2010, AOC Médoc Le vin de Stefan Paeffgen qui a acquis Ch. le Reysse (88-89/100), une propriété de 4Ha dans le Médoc, mérite une attention particulière. Il est très bien réussi, fruité, complexe et déjà agréable en bouche; son palais est équilibré, gras et bien structuré avec une belle intensité fruitée ainsi qu'une finale de bonne longueur.
2009 Château Le Reysse
27.000 bottles
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot
12 months in barrique
Bye-bye
Thanks Stefan and Heike for a great tour and wonderful winemaker dinner.
Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics
Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux – A Short Introduction
How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner/Director Olivier Bernard – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Tour, Tasting and Wine Lunch at a Petit Château and Organic Producer: Château Beauséjour – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile, France – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours(2015), France
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Tour and Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Appellation Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Wine Lunch at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac with Catherine Boyer, Château Du Cros, Loupiac – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Visit and Tasting: Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Wine Lunch at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte’s Restaurant La Grand’ Vigne (2 Stars Michelin, Chef: Nicolas Masse) – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Oysters in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Le Reysse, Vignobles Paeffgen, Médoc, in Bégadan, with Stefan Paeffgen
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina
Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Didier Cuvelier
Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé
The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, 1ière Grand Cru Classé.
How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil
Lunch at Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe with the Grape Pickers of Château Sociando Mallet
Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Basile Tesseron
Tour and Tasting at Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, 2ième Grand Cru Classé
Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Diana Paulin
Announcement: 5 Exciting ombiasy WineTours in 2016 - BURGUNDY BORDEAUX GERMANY
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