Winemaker Notes
Very nice deep ruby color, dazzling. Nose of black cherry, salted caramel, gingerbread. Full and indulgent on the palate with notes of brioche. Very nice impression of sweetness. Harmonious and generous overall, ending with an elegant and smooth finish. Two great experts of the terroir, Franck Bijon and Hubert de Boüard, were the driving force behind the renaissance Château Arnauld, purchased in 2007. Franck Bijon identified the potential of 5 hectares along the river’s edge, then selected other exceptional parcels one by one to create an estate of 17.2 hectares of great homogeneity which is now classified Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.
Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Petite Verdot
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Chateau Arnauld is a top performing Cru Bourgeoise property located in the Haut Médoc region of Bordeaux. Since 1976 it has been owned by the Theil Roger family (of Château Poujeaux fame) and today it is run by François Theil. Its 27 hectares of vineyards are located just outside the village of Arcins, north of the commune of Margaux in the Haut-Médoc. The wine is typically a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The grapes are fermented in a combination of concrete and stainless steel tanks and the wine is matured in small oak barrels (40% new) for 12 months. The wines are aromatically rich on the nose and tend to be medium-bodied with ripe tannins and good levels of ripe black fruits on the palate. It can be drunk young but generally shows at its bets after 5 years of bottle ageing.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.