Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (2000)

About this wine

This vintage from Chateau Franc Grace Dieu is a classic right bank Bordeaux blend of predominantly Merlot with a good share of Cabernet Franc, grown on brown sand over blue clay soils between Libourne and Saint Emilion. The 2000 shows a deep, dark garnet color with purple highlights, reflecting its concentration. Aromas open with intense black fruits such as blackberry and black cherry, joined by notes of ripe plum, candied fruit and a touch of quality oak with sweet spice and clove. On the palate the wine is supple and round with a ripe, fleshy core, its fine grained tannins giving structure without hardness and carrying the fruit through a long, persistent finish. The cuvee was aged about one year in barrel, which brings subtle toasted and spicy nuances that sit alongside the fruit rather than dominating it. With time in bottle, tertiary notes of tobacco leaf, cocoa and underbrush are likely to emerge, adding complexity to the already harmonious balance of fruit, oak and tannin.

About the grape

Merlot has been the dominant grape in Saint Émilion for more than a century, prized for its early ripening and its ability to cope with the cool clay and limestone and sandy soils around Château Franc Grace Dieu. At this estate Merlot makes up the majority of the vineyard and provides the core of the blend, coming from relatively old vines that are carefully pruned and often green harvested to keep yields low. Cabernet Franc has a longer history in Bordeaux, likely arriving from the southwest of France in the seventeenth century, and it adapts well to the better drained parcels here where its looser bunches resist rot. In this wine Cabernet Franc is used in a smaller proportion to bring structure, lift the aromatics, and help the blend age gracefully while still reflecting the classic Saint Émilion style.

Quick facts

• ⛪ The name Franc Grace Dieu recalls an old Cistercian priory that once stood here, it enjoyed tax free status under the French monarchy so your bottle carries a whisper of medieval privilege
• 🍇 The 2000 vintage was aged a full year in barrels and was rated very successful in French tasting guides, with a deep purple colour and intense confit black fruit that still shows impressive energy today
• 🌱 This Saint Émilion Grand Cru comes from a modest fifteen hectare vineyard, yet the vines average around forty years old, giving your bottle the quiet power of old roots rather than flashy size
• 🏡 Château Franc Grace Dieu is not only a working estate but also a countryside guesthouse, meaning some visitors literally sleep a few steps above the cellar where bottles like your 2000 vintage rest
• 🗳️ The current team that crafts Franc Grace Dieu came from outside the wine world and bought the estate in 2008, five people now share decisions equally so each bottle is the result of a small democracy of palates

Palate profile

Producer

Château Franc Grace Dieu is a family run estate in the commune of Saint Emilion in Bordeaux where vines have been cultivated for many years around the lieu dit La Grace Dieu. The property produces Saint Emilion Grand Cru wines with Merlot and Cabernet Franc and follows traditional cellar work with aging in French oak barrels. In addition to the winery the château operates as a bed and breakfast with five guest rooms that look out over the surrounding vineyards. The wines have earned recognition in regional competitions which has helped raise the profile of this relatively small estate among Saint Emilion producers.