Winegrowers’ Portraits Bordeaux region
Château Corbin Michotte
the bees kingdom
Nestled in the northeast of the appellation, a few acres of land away from its prestigious neighbours, Château Corbin Michotte, Grand Cru of Saint-Emilion, fiercely defends its position among the best. Visit at the chateau, where the ambiance has calmed down after the frenzy of the harvest, but where the new vintage is taking shape.
The very old estate dates back the 13th century and has even been the property of Edouard Plantagenêt, Prince of Aquitaine. In 1959, it entered the Boidron family, rich itself of a two-century history in the region of Saint-Emilion at Château Calon. It is 100% family managed. Consisting of 7 hectares in the gravelly area of Saint-Emilion, it is led according to a sustainable eco-friendly approach. That is its strength and the Boidron family made it its spearhead. Its communication took on the image of a butterfly, a fragile insect that lives among the vines. To sustain their commitment in the defence of biodiversity, the Boidron vineyards participated in the collective project
Vignes Mellifères for the protection of the bees, essential player in the pollination and in threat of extinction. The second wine has rightly been named Pollen. The translation of this fight in actions is the implementation of hives and the planting between the rows of a flora especially studied to attract and nurture the bees, offering in the same time a palette of colours turning the vineyard into a full-scale painting. A giant bouquet that the Boidron vineyards use as their credo,
“For the love of the bouquet”.In the same time the bouquet of the wines is also promoted. Jean-Noël Boidron pays particular care to respect as much as possible the aromas of the grapes and the wine. At Corbin Michotte, the grapes are harvested at perfect maturity, and manually in order to respect the bunches. The latter are sorted several times before being carried to the crusher placed directly on top of the vats. The integrity of the fruit is respected, providing a wide range of aromas to the wines of Corbin Michotte, especially the fruity notes. Only a part of the juices (60% on average) are poured in new oak barrels for a long period of 18 to 24 months. The rest remains in vats. No addition of external yeasts during vinification. The ecological distribution of the various species is respected, providing the natural richness of the terroir to the wine. The wines are the expressions of the truth and freedom…
Jean-Noël Boidron
Château Corbin Michotte
Petit Corbin
33330 Saint-Émilion
Tél.: 00 33 (0)5 57 51 64 88
www.boidron.info
In the same time the bouquet of the wines is also promoted. Jean-Noël Boidron pays particular care to respect as much as possible the aromas of the grapes and the wine. At Corbin Michotte, the grapes are harvested at perfect maturity, and manually in order to respect the bunches. The latter are sorted several times before being carried to the crusher placed directly on top of the vats. The integrity of the fruit is respected, providing a wide range of aromas to the wines of Corbin Michotte, especially the fruity notes. Only a part of the juices (60% on average) are poured in new oak barrels for a long period of 18 to 24 months. The rest remains in vats. No addition of external yeasts during vinification. The ecological distribution of the various species is respected, providing the natural richness of the terroir to the wine. The wines are the expressions of the truth and freedom…
No excessive woodiness in the chateau’s wines. To the Boidron family, the aromas of the wood must never hide the original fruitiness. They create author wines, pure blood of the vine. Corbin Michotte wines thus are finely woody, without excess, with a delicate fruitiness, of a superior and subtle quality, classical but with a strong personality. The tannins are silky, making the wine enjoyable in its youth, although Corbin Michotte wines are perfectly suitable for an ageing of 30 years or more.
In order to improve the quality of the work in the cellars, Jean-Noël Boidron completely renovated the fermentation cellar in 2012. Keeping the original vats of the house, he worked the ergonomics of the place. He added an aesthetic touch by imagining a wooden ceiling, noble and natural material, that springs from the ground in a bundle that opens out like a tree above the vats.
When we ask him if he proposes a touristic activity like many chateaus of Bordeaux and elsewhere, Jean-Noël Boidron aswers that the notion of wine tourism hides many disparities in service. To him it does not just consist in inviting visitors to taste the wine in the cellar. It has to be a real communication approach about the appellation, the defence of the terroir and its biodiversity, the quality of the wines of the chateau, with the proper reception plan. That is why, to do it well, the Boidron family organises theme visits only 2 to 3 months a year, and Jean-Noël Boidron himself is the guide to be sure his passion for the terroir, his love for the bouquet is correctly transmitted.
You will soon hear about Corbin Michotte, an unpretentious chateau, hidden from view in its park planted with trees, Jean-Noël Boidron decided to travel less in the next months to start many projects that he has in reserve since two years!
Sylvia van der Velden
