Untitled - Château Chauvin

2014
THE VINTAGE
A
After an early bud burst, a mild and wet start to spring allowed for rapid
growth of the canopy. Flowering was spread out until the start of June,
leading to some poor fruit set here and there.
With the return of mild temperatures in June, the growth of the vine was swift and
the bunch closure stage was reached in the first days of July. The first signs of
véraison were observed on 20 July but August, mostly cold and damp, slowed
down the ripening of the grapes.
The very hot and dry weather in September and October allowed a calm
wait for the grapes to ripen and for harvesting in excellent conditions.
Picking started on 29 September and finished on 10 October. The grapes were
very fine and each plot could be picked at its optimum ripeness. This hot weather
at the end of the season did however have a negative impact on yields, the heat
having concentrated the grapes and therefore reduced the weight of the berries.
It was important to cool the grapes so as to allow the start of the alcoholic fermentations at an appropriate temperature. This avoids over-rapid fermentation and
therefore each tank can be treated in an ideal way.
Vinification took place under very good conditions, with the grapes showing
perfect balance (sufficient acidity, pH of 3.7 and reasonable alcohol degrees of
around 13.5%). This allowed for soft and slow extraction of the grapes (colour and
tannins in particular) so as to obtain a good balance in the wines.
TECHNICAL SHEET
NAME OF 1ST WINE
Château Chauvin
NAME OF 2ND WINE
Folie de Chauvin
OWNER
Sylvie CAZES
CONSULTANT OENOLOGIST
Michel ROLLAND
TECHNICAL MANAGER
Philippe MOUREAU
APPELLATION
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
CLASSIFICATION
Grand Cru Classé
GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION
To the north-west of Saint-Emilion, between Cheval Blanc
and the Butte de Rol
BLEND
Merlot: 70%
Cabernet franc: 22%
Cabernet sauvignon: 8%
AVERAGE AGE OF VINES
30 years
PLANTING DENSITY
6 500 vines / hectare
TOTAL AREA
15 hectares 34 ca
SOIL TYPE
Sandy clay with presence of a pseudogley and an iron-rich sub-soil
VINEYARD MANAGEMENT
Tillage between the vines and central grass cover
(no use of herbicides)
Manual viticulture: trunk cleaning, leaf removal and thinning out
Use of sexual confusion
Conventional integrated viticulture (surface products at the end of the season - no systemic products)
HARVEST
Manual, double sorting, plot management, crates
VINIFICATION
Alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks
Cold skin contact before fermentation.
Skin contact for 20 to 30 days - slow and gentle extraction
AGEING
Oak barrels for 15 to 18 months
40% new barrels
PRODUCTION
30 000 bottles of the 1st wine
10 000 bottles of the 2nd wine
SALES
Merchants on the Place de Bordeaux
The good ripeness enabled us to make fruity wines without any green character,
with notes of fresh and ripe fruit.
Part of the harvest was put in new barrels as from November for the malolactic
fermentation, making the wine supple and round. As from the month of December,
ageing on lees took place for around two months so as to avoid excessive racking
of the wines and thereby preserving their fruit.
Beyond the change in graphics, the purpose of this
identity is to reflect the values so dear to Sylvie, her
children and her team.
ORIGINS OF THE LABEL
A Château Chauvin label from 1929 was discovered
in the archives of the property. This immediately
appealed to Sylvie, who decided to use it as the basis
for the creation of the new label.
After that, the graphic research went back to the
meaning of the word “chauvin”. To be “chauvin” in
French means to be proud of your land, to love your
land.
So the engraving that figures frequently in mythology
of Cupid (God of Love) straddling a lion (emblem of
Saint-Émilion) was added to the label dating from
1929.
As from the 2014 vintage, the label showing this
engraving represents the attachment of Château
Chauvin to the land of Saint-Emilion.
CONTACT
33330 Saint-Émilion +33 (0)5 57 24 76 25
[email protected]
studiodada.fr
Cupid also personifies for Sylvie all that is unconditional and selfless, just like the work in the vineyard.