Château Sansonnet 2020

The typicality of a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé

The estate

Located northeast of Saint-Émilion, Château Sansonnet joined the elite circle of Saint-Émilion Grands Crus Classés in 2012. This beautiful property has been the subject of a vast development plan for the entire vineyard, aimed to further improve the quality of the wines. In 2009, Marie-Bénédicte Lefèvre took over the management of the estate with great ambition, passion and determination, aiming to elevate it to the height of the Saint-Emilion appellation.

The vineyard

Enjoying a superb location, the Château Sansonnet vineyard covers 7 hectares of vines in one piece. The vines, which are 35 years old on average, are planted in a great terroir composed of a thin layer of clay on a limestone subsoil. Following a global approach that aims to show respect to the environment, the vines are subject to sustainable phytosanitary treatments with ploughing of the soil. The Château Sansonnet vineyard is also committed to an EMS process and is HVE Level 3 (High Environmental Value) certified.

The winemaking and ageing

Manual harvest in crates. Manual sorting in bunches, followed by a densimetric sort of the berries. Gravity-fed delivery of whole berries in double-walled, thermoregulated, truncated tanks and small wooden casks. Cold, pre-fermentation maceration for certain batches, extraction by punching down and/or pumping over. Temperature control, vatting for 20 to 28 days. Malolactic fermentations are carried out in barrels. Ageing occurs in 225L, 300L and 500L barrels, 80% of which are new barrels. 2 amphorae are dedicated to the ageing of young vines and wooden barrels.

Blend

The 2020 Château Sansonnet is made from a blend of Merlot (95%), Cabernet Sauvignon (3%) and Cabernet Franc (2%).