VITICULTURE: The strength of Bordeaux’s wine country is the sheer diversity of its soil. The mild climate, bountiful sunshine and nearby ocean and waterways have all combined to make Bordeaux a giant among wine regions. With their winemaker, Stephane Derenoncourt, the Bouey family has selected 27 single vineyard “parcelles” (plots in French) with a variety of soil types; clay for body, gravel for finesse and chalky limestone for aromatic complexity. These wines are made in collaboration with the growers themselves, and are then blended to create a Merlot of supreme elegance and sensuality.
VINIFICATION: Once the grapes are hand-harvested at each plot, they undergo an initial fermentation in either concrete or steel vats that are kept at a steady 28oC, followed by 20 days maceration. The must is pumped over, then racked and returned to the vats to extract color and tannins, followed by a series of tastings to decide the perfect moment to rack off the wine. After six months’ maturing in vats and oak barrels, the final wines are blended.
FAMILY: The Bouey family has been in the Médoc region of Bordeaux for over 200 years. But they are not vineyard owners, rather, vineyard caretakers, tending to the vines of their seven chateaux in a way that preserves them for future generations. They’ve operated this way for years and show no signs of altering their approach. The resultant wine and health of the vines speak for themselves. In fact, they are one of the last family-owned wine trading companies left in Bordeaux.
Respect for the environment is just as important to Famille Bouey as the respect for heritage and crafting delicious wines. All seven of the Famille Bouey estates are farmed to ISO 140001 standards and have obtained the High Environmental Value (HVE) label, which is the most highly regarded and rigorous label given to farms and agriculture. Sulfites are kept to a minimum in the wine and no chemicals are used to treat, feed or tend to the vines. Vineyard biodiversity is honored and encouraged.
Producer: Maison Bouey
Region: AOC Bordeaux
Country: France
Wine Composition: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 13%
Total Acidity: 3.04 G/L
Residual Sugar: 0.08 G/L
pH: 3.63