wine info sheet

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dorure
Lo u p iac, Cad i ll ac - C ô tes d e Bo r d eau x
« To the south of Bordeaux, near
Cadillac, Château de Ricaud offers a
range of exceptionally diverse soils.
Seduced by the tremendous quality
potential of the vineyard and the
property’s stunning architecture, Alain
Thiénot purchased the Château in
1980. In 2007, he elected to work in
partnership with the Dourthe teams and
an ambitious redevelopment programme
ensued, transforming Château de
Ricaud into a benchmark in Loupiac
and creating a Côtes de Bordeaux
wine to rank among the finest of the
appellation. »
Patrick Jestin, President
The Château Ricaud team :
Frédéric Bonnaffous,
Dourthe Estates Director
Bruno Marlet,
Estate Manager
Revealing
an exceptional terroir
Set in the midst of a natural ampitheatre, the Château de Ricaud vineyards stretch
in a single block across some of the most magnificent slopes in the region, and enjoy
natural drainage and perfect aspect. To realise the full potential of the terroir, an
ambitious investment plan was launched in 2007. A highly detailed mapping of the soils
and subsoils revealed complex, diverse terroirs unique to the Cadillac appellation and
identified 50 distinctive vineyard plots. 45 ha of vines were grubbed up and replanted
with just 31 hectares of varietals and rootstocks perfectly adapted to the soils. In parallel,
the high-potential parcels could then express all their majesty, reflecting the truest varietal
expression and producing a range of wines of the highest quality. To the north of the
winery, at «Lieu dit Les Quints», the finest calcareous clay parcels are interspersed with a
deep vein of clay, which serves as a natural source of water to the vines. Here the terroir
favours early-ripening and is particularly suited to Merlot, which reveals great aromatic
freshness. To the north-west and eastern extremities of the estate, two gravel terraces were
deposited by the nearby Garonne river during severe floods at the end of the ice age. The
most compact gravels cover the eastern slopes, forming magnificent plots for Petit Verdot,
which imparts intense colour and complexity to the wines. The finest gravels characterise
the western slopes, and are perfect for maturing Cabernet Sauvignon to perfection. Parcels
of Semillon have been planted at the foot of the slopes or near to the streams or forest to
promote constantly humid conditions conducive to the development of Botrytis Cinerea,
an essential factor to create Loupiac wines. Revealing the true potential of the terroir
and supporting this quest for excellence, form the basis for a new chapter at Château de
Ricaud…
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Seeking the finest fruit
expression
Viticulture has been completely reassessed, not only to reveal the true potential of the
terroir, but also to guarantee optimum fruit quality. All the more recent vine parcels have
been replanted at a density of 6,900 vines/ha in order to favour quality and concentration
in the bunches over cropping levels. Frequent, painstaking canopy management techniques
are carried out throughout the year to optimise fruit maturity, including bud-rubbing,
shoot removal and leaf-plucking twice - once in June on the side the sun rises to protect
the grape bunches from the intense daytime sunshine, and once on the side the sun sets
at the end of summer to add the finishing touches to the ripening process. The vineyard
has remained perfectly healthy since 1995, with the aid of sustainable plant protection, so
only essential treatments are carried out to avoid destabilising the natural environment.
In addition, the winery at Château de Ricaud has undergone various improvements in the
quest to preserve fruit quality. The tanks in the stainless steel tankroom are now equipped
with temperature control, and are in sufficient quantity to vinify in separate batches and
retain the individual character of each parcel. To favour improved tannin extraction, wide,
rather than tall, 175hl tanks have been selected.
An exemplary Loupiac,
Côtes de Bordeaux to watch
Often cited as a benchmark since 1897, the Loupiac produced at Château de Ricaud is
decidedly modern in style, with the emphasis on aromatic intensity, floral rather than sweet
in style, and lively and fresh on the palate. Château de Ricaud’s transformation is best
illustrated by the Côtes de Bordeaux wines. The wines reflect the most complete expression
of Merlot cultivated on calcareous-clay soils, and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on gravel. The
ultimate recognition came in 2011 with the release of the Grand Vin de Château de Ricaud,
which is a shining example of elegance and distinction.
dorure
Run by the Thiénot family for a quarter
of a century, Château de Ricaud is
a magnificent neo-gothic property
surrounded by parklands of 300-year
old trees. The property dates back to
the 15th century, when Gaston de
Foix elevated “Ricault” in status, which
at the time was owned by Chevalier
Bernard Lamensans. The original
Château was destroyed by the Dukes of
Eperon in 1650, and rebuilt by François
de Fleurier in 1674, only to take on
its current form in 1865, when the
architect Alphonse Blaquière redesigned
the château in neo-gothic style, inspired
by work carried out by Viollet-Le-Duc.
During the period 1882 - 1910,
William Wells planted a vineyard
spanning almost 30 hectares, tended by
his son Maurice in his quest to reveal its
true worth. As early as 1897, Loupiac
wines produced on the property won
various accolades in London, Brussels
and Paris. After the death of Maurice
Wells in 1954, the property slowly lost
its way until its purchase in 1980 by
Alain Thiénot, who had fallen under
the charm of a bottle of Château de
Ricaud 1929 in a top restaurant in
Paris.
CONCOURS MONDIAL DE BRUXELLES 2013
Château de Ricaud, Cadillac 2011 : Silver medal
WINE SPECTATOR BUYING GUIDE – May 2013
Château de Ricaud, Cadillac 2010 : 88 “A fruity, structured wine, dense and dark-hued, its black currant fruits
giving a sens of ligther acidity. It’s just coming into balance, so it will likely age well over the medium term.”
DECANTER - November 2012
Château de Ricaud, Bordeaux Supérieur 2010 : 15 “…clearly has ambition, backed up by good fruit…”
CONCOURS MONDIAL DE BRUXELLES 2012
Château de Ricaud, Bordeaux Supérieur 2009 : Gold medal
WINE SPECTATOR, James Molesworth- February 2013
Château de Ricaud Grand Vin 2010 : 91 “Densely packed, with notes of steeped currant, blackberry and fig
intertwined with melted black licorice, charcoal and roasted chestnut leaf. Fleshy and driven through the finish,
with good latent length and a buried singed iron note.”
HACHETTE WINE GUIDE 2013
Château de Ricaud Grand Vin 2010 : **2 stars (denotes a remarkable wine) “A rare feat among this
appellation…powerful, generous and well-structured palate.”
Château de Ricaud, Réserve des Coteaux, Cadillac 2009 : 1 star (denotes a great wine)
Château de Ricaud Bordeaux Blanc 2011 : 1 star (denotes a great wine) “…On the palate, the wine shows good
body, is round and concentrated, with acidity levels balancing well with heady floral and fruity aromas. A wine full
of character…”
HACHETTE WINE GUIDE 2010
Château de Ricaud, Loupiac 2006 : **2 stars (denotes a remarkable wine) “…The 2006 is equally astonishing,
revealing intense aromas of honey, pâte de fruit and botrytis, tinged with licorice notes. …”
technical notes
Vineyard management
Canopy management - budrubbing and shoot
removal, 1-2 leafpluckings (once late June/early
July on the side the sun rises; once late August,
on the side the sun sets
Harvest
Whites: by hand in 2 - 3 successive sweeps
through vines
Reds: by machine fitted with integrated
destemmer separator.
Vinification
Loupiac: fermented in oak barrels (50%
new, 50% 6 months)
Reds: traditional, individual parcels in
temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks.
Cold pre-fermentation maceration for certain
parcels.
Ageing
Loupiac: 17 months in oak barrel (50% new,
50% 6 months old).
Bordeaux Blanc: on the fine lees with regular
brassage
Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux: 12 months in oak
barrel (1/3 new, 1/3 1 yr old, 1/3 2 yrs old).
A nnual average production
Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux: 200,000 bt
Loupiac: 7,500 bt
Bordeaux Blanc: 10,000 bt
G
ir
on
de
Océan Atlantiq
ue
35, route de Bordeaux - Parempuyre
CS80004 - 33295 Blanquefort Cedex - France
Tél: 33 (0)5 56 35 53 00 - Fax: 33 (0)5 56 35 53 29
www.dourthe.com - [email protected]
BORDEAUX
Cadillac
Loupiac
Château
Ricaud
PHOTOS : TWIN PHOTOGRAPHIE (Juin 2013)
Owner
Alain Thiénot
P resident Dourthe
Patrick Jestin
Dourthe E states D irector
Frédéric Bonnaffous
E state Manager
Bruno Marlet
Surface area
56 ha Red - 15 ha White (Loupiac and
Bordeaux Blanc)
Soil-type
The vineyard is shaped like a natural
ampitheatre. To the north of the winery,
calcareous-clay interspersed with a deep vein
of clay. 2 gravel terraces on the east and northwest slopes of the vineyard.
Grape varieties
Loupiac: from 2009: 100% Semillon – Previous
vintages: 85% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon blanc.
Bordeaux Blanc: 70% Semillon and 30%
Sauvignon blanc.
Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux: 90% Merlot, 8%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Bordeaux Supérieur: 90% Merlot, 7%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
P lanting density
5,500 vines/ha (white); 6,900 vines/ha for the
31 ha replanted in Cadillac/ Côtes de Bordeaux