This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Sweet Bordeaux under £15 went to Denis Dubourdieu, The Society's Exhibition, Sauternes 2010 (13.5%)
Tasted against:
- No other Golds in this category
Profile:
The Wine Society’s Exhibition line, launched in 1999, sits one level up from its The Society range. The aim of the wines is to portray the classic hallmarks of the region in question, and the team of buyers will often cellar such wines before making them available to its members, to ensure they will be enjoyed at their peak.
While the bottle is labelled Sauternes, this Trophy actually comes from the Barsac AC directly south (producers are entitled to do this to give their wine a greater profile), and the property responsible is Château Cantegril. Some 22 hectares in size, it sits on the site of a castle built in the Middle Ages which bore the same name. It has been run by the same family since 1924, initially by André Mansencal until 1978, then by his son-in-law Pierre Dubourdieu, who passed on responsibilities in 2000 to renowned consultant Denis Dubourdieu.
About 65% of the plantings are devoted to Semillon, and the rest Sauvignon Blanc. This keenly priced Trophy-winner is dominated by Semillon, with just 9% Sauvignon Blanc in the final blend.
Cantegril is phasing out the use of chemicals in its vineyard work, instead turning to vegetable-based organic composts, along with traditional ploughing between the vines. The aim is for the vineyard to be ‘grown like a garden, in an orderly and well-preserved environment’.
Written by Decanter
