” Château La Couspaude is located in the heart of Saint-Emilion and has been the flagship of the Aubert family for more than a century. The family has also owned many other vineyards in the region since 1750. With each vintage, the family aims to achieve the best possible results from Château La Couspaude's exceptional terroir. “
We are committed to viticulture that respects the men and women who work on the estate in order to preserve our heritage and our land. We promote biodiversity in the vineyard, encouraging flora and fauna by planting hedges and building birdhouses. The estate has been awarded the High Environmental Value Level 3 label.
A policy of co-planting vine plants selected and prepared for the château has been in place for many years. We use traditional methods of working the vines and the soil. The soil is worked mechanically, and horse-drawn equipment may be used for certain tasks. Harvesting is done by hand using small crates. We take great care to select the best grapes from our small plots. The grapes are sorted in the vineyard and then optically sorted on arrival at the winery. From maceration to fermentation, it is the tasting of the musts that guides all decisions.
The wine is matured in barrels made from French oak in the cellars, which were built right into the limestone rock of Saint-Emilion. Apart from their historical and aesthetic appeal, these cellars are naturally suited to the storage of wine, ensuring constant natural temperature and water regulation. The wines are aged and stored in the cellars until they are shipped.
The average age of the vines (about 50 years) gives them the maturity needed to produce great wines. The grape varieties grown at Château La Couspaude reflect the history of the estate and the balance sought by the successive generations of winegrowers, with the majority being Merlot (75%), supplemented by Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). All these characteristics of the vineyard, combined with its homogeneity (7 hectares in one holding), result in a balance that is expressed in the wines produced by Château La Couspaude.
Know-how
All the technical phases from vineyard to cellar are managed by members of the family. In 1963, a replanting programme was launched affecting 80% of the vineyard. To the east of the estate, however, some of the old vines were preserved and these are now over a hundred years old. The owners seek to maximise the qualitative potential of Château La Couspaude's exceptional terroir by controlling each stage of the process and by improving internal and external traceability. The storage area for the bottles, as well as the barrel cellar, is underground in the cellars dug directly into the Saint-Emilion limestone. Apart from their historical and aesthetic appeal, these cellars are naturally suited to the storage of wine, ensuring constant natural temperature and water regulation.
CHÂTEAU LA COUSPAUDE
APPELLATION : SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU CLASSÉ
AREA : 7,01 hectares
Homogeneous terroir in a single holding,
enclosed by walls
SUSTAINABLE
VINEYARD
MANAGEMENT:
Soil cultivated by animal traction
HVE [High Environmental Value] 3 certification
BLENDING :
75 % merlot
20 % cabernet franc,
5 % cabernet sauvignon
AVERAGE AGE
OF THE VINEYARD : 50 years
SOIL TYPE :
Saint-Emilion limestone plateau
WINEMAKING :
Manual harvest
using small crates with plot-by-plot selection.
Mechanical sorting, vinification in small
temperature-controlled stainless steel vats,
manual punching of the cap.
MATURATION IN UNDERGROUND CELLARS:
18 to 20 months in French oak barrels
suitable for each vintage
Bottling and storage in the cellars
2018
2005
Vintages
TASTING NOTES
2018
The colour is deep and brilliant
The very complex red fruit nose is enhanced by toasty notes
The attack on the palate is powerful and very full, with great length
A rich wine
2017
The colour is bright and intense
The fruity nose is surrounded by very pleasant aromas of toast
The palate is rich and sweet, with good length
An elegant and tasty wine
2016
The colour is beautiful and intense
The nose is dominated by aromas of dark fruits - blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry
The palate is powerful and complex, very lingering
A wine with character
2015
The colour is carmine with some tile-coloured highlights
The nose is particularly fruity with spicy notes
The palate is fleshy and full-bodied with a very good volume
A well-balanced wine
2014
The colour is deep and dark
The nose is full of toasty dark berries
The palate is round and fleshy, smooth and balanced
An expressive wine
2013
The colour is deep and slightly tile-red
The slightly woody nose is marked by ripe and floral fruit
The palate is fine, crisp and delicate
A hearty wine
2012
The colour is clear and carmine with orangey highlights
The bouquet is delicately toasty
The palate is round and delicate but with a good tannic structure
A pleasant wine
2011
The colour is very vibrant and dark
The subtle woody nose has notes of roasted peanuts and dark berries
The palate is very delicate with a good and pleasant volume
A well-balanced wine
2010
The intense colour is full of ruby highlights
The nose is very expressive and richly fruity and spicy
The palate is particularly rich and full-bodied, very long
A wine of great class
2009
The colour is deep and vibrant
The nose of ripe fruit is enhanced by hints of vanilla
The palate is remarkably full-bodied, with a fresh, minty finish
A complex wine
2008
The colour is bright and deep
The nose shows notes of red berries and dried fruit such as cashew nuts
The palate is smooth and delicate, with a long finish
A delicious wine
2007
The colour is deep with just a few hints of tile-coloured red
The initial bouquet is marked by elegant notes of beeswax
The wine has a very good mouthfeel and a good structure.
A fairly full-bodied wine
2006
The colour is really dark with auburn highlights
The nose of dark berries has a slight hint of liquorice
The palate is fleshy and round with a very pleasant finish of stuffed prunes
An elegant wine
2005
The purple colour is intense and has very slight copper highlights.
The delicate fruity nose is enhanced by fresh notes of undergrowth and marquetry.
The flavour hits you immediately and is full and creamy on the palate
A powerful wine
WHAT THE PRESS SAYS
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