Château Climens is a
Premier Cru
Cru is a wine Glossary of wine terms, term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French language, French word which was originally used to refer to both a region and anything grown in it, but is now mostly used t ...
Classé (French, "First Growth")
Sauternes wine producer from the
Barsac appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the ingredients of a food or beverage originated, most often used for the origin of wine grapes. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, s ...
. The estate is located in the southern part of France's
Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine (; ) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gi ...
region in the district of
:Graves, an eighth of a mile away from Barsac's other most historically rated vineyard,
Château Coutet.
Climens farms biodynamically and uses only natural yeast.
It is a wine characteristically known as better when young, though in its greatest years at the height of finesse. The vintages 1929, 1947 and 1949 were described by
Alexis Lichine
Alexis Lichine (December 3, 1913 – June 1, 1989) was a Russian wine writer and entrepreneur. He played a key role in promoting varietal labelling of wine, was a masterful salesman of wine, had interests in two Bordeaux wineries, owning Chât ...
to surpass
Château d'Yquem as "lighter, with less vinosity and body, yet miraculously subtle."
Château Climens also produces a
second wine
Second wine or second label (French: ''Second vin'') is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from '' cuvee'' not selected for use in the ''Grand vin'' or first label. In some cases a third wine or e ...
named Cypres de Climens.
As of 2018 Chateau Climens are producing a Semillon Sec:
Asphodele du Climens Grand Vin Blanc Sec.
History
The name Climens, appeared for the first time on a contract dated 1547, the name in the local dialect meaning "unfertile, poor land". The Roborel family were responsible for expanding the estate, initiating
viticulture
Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...
in the 17th century, and oversaw the production of both white and red wine.
[
In 1855, Monsieur Henri Gounouilhou bought the property, in the year Climens was classified a ''Premier Cru''.][ It remained the property of the Gounouilhou family until Lucien Lurton of ]Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac is a winery in the Margaux Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen ''Deuxièmes Crus'' (Second Growths) in the origina ...
bought the estate in 1971,[ along with Château Doisy-Dubroca.][ It has been run by his daughter, Bérénice Lurton, since 1992.
]
Production
The grape variety is 100% Sémillon
Sémillon () is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in French wine, France and Australian wine, Australia. Its thin skin and susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, botrytis make it dominate the sweet wine region S ...
, which is said to suit the vineyard's chalky soil.
References
External links
Château Climens official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Climens, Chateau
Bordeaux wine producers