Château Villemaurine 2015

Mere steps away from the medieval village of Saint-Émilion lies the Grand Cru Classé, Château Villemaurine.  Here, a mixture of modernity and tradition govern the winemaking process and ethos at this estate.  The property has had some exciting changes since June 2007, when Château Villemaurine was purchased by Justin Onclin. Because of Justin’s passion and devotion to this property, the wines just keep getting better and better each year.  At under $100.00, the wines from this estate are a spectacular value from Saint-Émilion, making it a producer that should very much be on any oenophile’s radar.   

Château Villemaurine has a history that is epic and century-spanning.  It derives its name from the 8^th Century when an army of invaders took up residency and made an encampment right where this Right Bank property exists today.  It was called, “Ville Maure,” which translates to, “Village of the Moors.”  In the 17^th Century, it was purchased by Antoine Limouzin, the first Clerk at the port of Libourne.  Right before the French Revolution, Jean Combret de Faurie mounted the enormous task of planting a vineyard at the property because he saw the vast potential of the estate’s limestone terroir.  In the modern era the most influential owner of this property is without a doubt Justin Onclin, who has spared no expense renovating the property to showcase its phenomenal terroir that is comparable to some top-notch estates in the region like Château Trotte Vieille and Château Pavie Macquin.   He invested in the most state of the art technology to improve conditions at the estate and the results speak for themselves.

This tiny 12-hectare estate is planted with 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc.  The vineyard was initially planted with 95% Merlot on the mixture of clay and limestone soils that are perfectly suited for this varietal. The vines at this estate are on average 30 years old.  The best plots are on the peak of the limestone plateau where Château Villemaurine is located, with an elevation of 87 meters.  The estate now hosts a new underground vat room, and they practice parcel by parcel vinification.  The wines are whole berry fermented in new, dual walled 68 hectoliter stainless steel tanks.  Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and the wine is aged in 80% new French Oak barrels.  The result is an elegant, terroir driven wine with a distinctive mineral driven quality and a long, lingering finish.

Château Villemaurine had a talented team as well, the impressive Hubert de Bouard of Château Angelus is the consultant at this renowned estate.  Since Hubert took over, the quality of the wine continues to skyrocket and improve with each passing vintage.  As recently as April 2021, the Onclin family sold Château Villemaurine to the Lefevre family who owned several vineyards in Saint Émilion, including Château Sansonnet, Château Moulin du Cadet and Château Soutard Cadet.   We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this property and considering the scores on the most recent vintage it looks very bright.

"The 2015 Villemaurine is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new and 30% one-year-old oak barrels for 16 months. Medium garnet-purple in color, it is scented of crushed black cherries, mulberries and blackberry preserves with cedar chest and rose hip hints. Medium to full-bodied with firm, grainy tannins, it's tightly knit with loads of layers and wonderful purity, finishing with great length and depth." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2/21/2018, Interim Issue),Ratings: 94, Drink: 2021-2043