Château Cantin is in the portfolio of Grands Chais de France, France’s number two wine merchant, whose famous brand ‘J.P. Chenet’ has gone around the world. The management and marketing of this Saint-Emilion Grand Cru are entrusted to Crus & Domaines de France directed Jean-Marc Dulong. In mind: a new ambition.
What does Château Cantin represent within the group?
Among the 21 properties in Gironde owned by Grands Chais de France which account for 670 hectares in total, Château Cantin is one of our flagships with Clos Beauregard in Pomerol. It is located in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, with 32 hectares on hillsides on a clay-limestone soil and Merlot dominating by 90%.
What have you undertaken in the estate since the purchase in 2008?
One of the group's strategic priorities is to revive forgotten properties, which allows us a certain freedom in our choices. Here at Cantin, we have gradually restructured the vineyard with a 10-year program. A total of 8 hectares were pulled out and reorganized according to soil analysis and our qualitative objective. We are consulted by Michel Rolland, the virtuoso of Merlot, in this process. In the vineyard, we practice integrated agriculture, the care given to the vine, to the grapes, to its maturity are things that are important to us. The harvest is manual. The yields are reasonable, between 40 to 45 hectoliters per hectare. In the cellar, we have set up by-plot selection with 340 barrels, and we are testing different woods, we like a lot the Burgundy coopers, they bring finesse. The first wine benefits from a twelve-month barrel aging.
Where is Château Cantin sold?
The estate has two levels of quality: Château Cantin (about 20 euros) and Vieux Château des Combes (about 15 euros). Both brands are distributed in the HORECA, Duty Free shops and exported overseas. Château Cantin has found its public. We lack wine every year!
What is Château Cantin’s ambition?
Joseph Helfrich, CEO of Grands Chais de France, is determined to provide the means to increase the quality of all his properties. For 10 years, more than 50% of our vineyards have been restructured. At Cantin, our ambition is clear, we want to go one step up. It is a long-term construction. Of course, we have in sight the new classification of 2022. And we are gradually meeting the challenges. We have the adapted structure, the wines tend more and more towards delicacy, balance. We need to work on brand positioning, implementation, sales support ... The wine has progressed and we want to raise it even higher. The story is far from over.
Bénédicte Chapard
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