Château Tanesse Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 2022 (France) - Wine Review

Happy Thanksgiving! Tonight's red wine review is an excellent red from the Right Bank appellation of Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux that arrived at the LCBO in this weekend's October 10 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

This red wine is produced by Vignobles Gonfrier, a prominent, family-owned wine producer whose journey began in 1962, when Paul Gonfrier and his wife, Marie-José, left their native Algeria to establish a wine business in Lestiac-sur-Garonne, in the Gironde department of Bordeaux.

The Gonfrier family's three sons – Pierre, Philippe, and Éric – grew up around the family enterprise, with Philippe becoming involved in managing the property at a very early age and Éric completing his first vinification in 1985, at the age of 23. In 1998, Philippe and Éric consolidated their wine activities, including their vineyard acquisitions, under the name Vignobles Gonfrier. Today, the group has a portfolio of more than 20 châteaux, state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and facilities, and vineyard operations spanning more than 1,000 hectares.

Today, Vignobles Gonfrier has more than 20 châteaux throughout Bordeaux and favours top-quality wines that express their terroir, with winemaking serving to ensure wine quality and client satisfaction. With a commitment to the environment, the group's estate vineyards are certified to High Environmental Value Level 3 (HVE3), while Vignobles Gonfrier is also in the process of converting a portion of its vineyards to organic agriculture. The group is further committed to a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach and is certified by EcoVadis. The children of Philippe and Éric represent the third generation of the Gonfrier family now involved in the wine business. Thibault and Paul, the respective sons of Philippe and Éric, are involved in overseeing the family's vineyards, including Château Tanesse, which was acquired by Vignobles Gonfrier in 2004.

Château Tanesse is situated in the Langoiran district within the appellation of Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux. The appellation is nestled in the Grandes Côtes region, to the east of and along the Garonne River. The charterhouse that is Château Tanesse was built by the Tanesse family during the second half of the 18th century and is located on a high hillock among sloping vineyards. The property's 30 hectares of vineyards surround the historic estate and sit atop very old foundations, overlooking Langoiran's medieval 13th-century castle and offering panoramic views that stretch from the edge of the Sauternais to the outskirts of Bordeaux, following the meandering Garonne River.

Like the 2020 Château Tanesse I enjoyed last year, this red wine is crafted with 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc that was grown in the vineyards surrounding the property. The vines average 25 years old and are planted on gravelly and clayey-gravelly slopes atop a calcareous subsoil. To craft this wine, the vines were trained using traditional Bordeaux-style vine training - with two canes and a flat arch. In the vineyard, there was controlled grassing down of the vine rows and/or mechanical working of the soil to improve the soils' vitality and biodiversity. Manual "green harvesting" was also performed in order for homogeneous distribution and proper aeration of the grape bunches, while harvest at the end of the growing season was performed mechanically. Upon arriving at the winery, the grapes were underwent destemming, crushing, and vatting, with fermentation taking place in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. Due to the terroir's quality, it also underwent prolonged maceration to extract tannins. The wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

In 2022, the growing season in Bordeaux was marked by heat and dry conditions, following a relatively dry winter and early spring growth. Spring frosts and June hailstorms damaged some vineyards, while July and August brought exceptionally hot, dry conditions. Older vines generally fared better thanks to their deeper root systems, and cool nights helped preserve freshness and acidity. Wildfires in parts of the region raised concerns about smoke taint, although the impact was limited. The heat accelerated ripening, leading to an unusually early harvest and reduced yields, but fruit quality was excellent. Merlot and Cabernet Franc performed particularly well, while Cabernet Sauvignon also excelled, albeit with the potential for higher alcohol levels. From what is regarded as a legendary vintage, let's see how this 2022 Bordeaux red wine is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

CHÂTEAU TANESSE CADILLAC CÔTES DE BORDEAUX 2022 - Sustainable, AOC, France (#666628) (XD) - $20.95
Blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The medium-high to highly aromatic nose exudes richly concentrated and complex aromas of ripe dark fruit, black currant, black cherry, cassis, black plum, blackberry, dried herbs, and fine oak spice, plus whiffs of graphite, wet earth, and mulberry. On the dry, full-bodied palate it is richly structured and concentrated with lovely ripe dark fruit, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, currant, wood spice, graphite, savoury earth, and dried herbal flavours. It has juicy, structured acidity, along with ripe, richly textured, well-structured, mouth-coating tannins. A salty mineral mid-palate leads to smoke and graphite notes on the long, savoury, dusty textured, and very juicy finish. Should drink nicely for at least a decade, if not more. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Other lovely wines by Vignobles Gonfrier can be ordered through their Agent - Sylvestre Wines & Spirits.