Primeurs 2009 Saint-Émilion
Château Soutard
At the present time the group AG2R La Mondiale owns in Saint-Emilion close to 63 hectares, of which 55 of vines. At the origin was the Château Larmande, classed growth on ancient sands, and an adjacent tenant farming, the Château Grand Faurie la Rose, under the management of Claire Thomas-Chenard, descended from an oenologist and chemist engineer, who arrived in 1998. “We have now found the style 'Larmande' by a big fundamental work in the wineries and in the vineyard. The distribution introduced it.” Claire explains. Under recommendations of Claire and her team, in 2006, La Mondiale buys the Château Soutard, great classed growth neighbouring Larmande and property of the family De Ligneris since 1811. Then, in 2009, Cadet Piola, small (by its size: 7 ha) classed growth. “We cannot talk about ‘strategy’ but about ‘opportunity’ to create a unity of terroirs with a beautiful jewel.” Claire comments.
Unity of place, unity of terroirs for a team of 4 ‘musketeers’: Claire, manager of the estates, Francis Bellet, technical manager, Aymone Fabre, in charge of communication, Véronique Corporandy, in charge of the wineries.
“The idea of redeveloping the historical and viticultural heritage of the Château Soutard, at the gates of Saint-Emilion, with this technical and oenotouristic project, appeared to be essential… It is an emulation for us to promote Soutard to the rank of the first. We have the terroir and the means… we have to accept the challenge.”
In 1898 already, the Féret* mentioned that Soutard received medals at the universal exhibitions of Paris and Antwerp… “The 2009 will also go down in history: a beautiful vintage, despite low yields as we were hit by hail in May! We produced 8 hectolitres per hectare at the Château Soutard, 20 at Larmande, 22 at Cadet Piola (biodynamic management), 25 at Grand Faurie... A bit frustrating but even so we developed great wines, which would not have been possible on a delicate vintage. Things will be more complicated for the distribution as Primeur wines.” she ads.
In the end of 2010, you will be able again to take the great tree-lined drive, newly planted. You will discover a landscaped whole with, as a backdrop, the 18th-century château and, on each side, the wings rebuilt for the technical, administration and oenotouristic centre (opening in 2011) which materials respect the geological site (the limestone, mother rock of the appellation), the design (concrete inlaid with vegetal patterns), the wood, the stone… the ‘durable’.
Since 2006, the team, with a work of thinking and precision coupled with fantastic investments, wants to take up the challenge consisting in repositioning Soutard in the Saint Emilion wine classification, and respect the trends, to be more reasonable than reasoned in conducting the vine.
www.chateau-soutard.com : on this website, discover the works and projects in progress.
*Féret: guide Bordeaux and its wines written by Charles Cocks and first published by the Editions Féret in the 19th Century.
Château SOUTARD
BP 4 - 33330 SAINT-ÉMILION
Tél. : +33 (0)5 57 24 71 41
Fax : +33 (0)5 57 74 42 80
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