Chateau La Couspaude 2016 Saint Emillion Grand Cru Classe《Terroir Collection - ZTF292B》

The well-known Aubert family has a long, successful track record making Bordeaux wine in the appellation. They have been active in St. Emilion for almost two centuries!

The chateau was built in the late 1700s. Chateau La Couspaude has been in the Aubert family’s hands for over 100 years. The vineyard was bought by the Robin family, who already owned Chateau Sansonnet in 1908.

Today, the 3 Aubert brothers, Alain Aubert, Daniel Aubert, and Jean-Claude Aubert, along with their children, Vanessa Aubert, Heloise Aubert, and Yohann Aubert, all direct descendants of the Robin family work together at the family’s large collection of various estates spread all over the Right Bank in Bordeaux from Saint Emilion all the way east to Cotes de Castillon and in other regions as well.Prior to 2005, the wines of La Couspaude tended to show too much new oak in the style of their Bordeaux wine. Starting with 2006, the Aubert’s reduced the amount of new oak used to age the wine.They also changed the type of oak and further reduced the amount of oak in the 2011 vintage which allows the wine of La Couspaude to express more complexities.

The 7-hectare vineyard is Chateau La Couspaude is planted to 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Located just outside the village of St. Emilion heading in the easterly direction, the walled-in vineyard of La Couspaude sits on a nice slope rising to 75 meters at its peak.

La Couspaude is one large block of vines. Interestingly, the vineyard has remained the exact same size for close to 300 years! The terroir is chalk, clay, and limestone soils. The vines are planted to a density of 6,500 vines per hectare. The vines have an average age of 30 years.

To produce the wine of Chateau La Couspaude, vinification takes place in small, oak, fermentation vats after a cold maceration period using dry ice. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new 100% new, French oak barrels. The wine is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for between 18 and 20 months.

1995 was the breakout vintage for Chateau La Couspaude and its unique, fleshy, flashy, low acid, sensuous, oaky, early-drinking, modern-styled St. Emilion wine.