Winegrower Bordelais - Premières Côtes de Blaye
Château CANTINOT
Land, sea, and wines of character
As a lineage of entrepreneurs, the family Bouscasse has totally invested itself in the estate in the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. Each one knows which role to play and is staged with very fine touch by Florence and Yann. The latter are very attentive and demanding parents, as much for the wines of the chateau as for their children's commitment.
Since the 19th century, through the creation of a eau-de-vie trade company then of a fleet of boats transporting wines over the seas worldwide, the entrepreneurial family spirit shows that Yann is the true descendant on the maritime part. On the land part, Florence is from a family of merchants well-established in the Bordeaux region. In 2002, with their children, they both decided to buy Château Cantinot, superb mansion house surrounded by a vineyard all in one piece. On this soil of gravel, sand, clay and chalk, the Merlot sometimes roots in the seams of blue clay, and grows close to Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The estuary is nearby, the terroir is present. By dint of hard work, pugnacity, investments—often by self-financing—the estate increases its surface area, the winery adapts to a very demanding and well-controlled vinification and ageing process. Stemming from a more advanced plot selection, les Tours de Cantinot will complete the range. Then the vineyard of the Château Haut Boutet, little brother with a more impetuous style, and since January 2010, the Château Capon with its pleasurable wine, are included in the thirty hectares that their son Nicolas, who started is career at the Château La Tour Carnet, vinifies and matures. Being conscious he can only make wines in osmosis with the terroir as it presents itself, he continuously paces up and down the vineyard, following his father's steps, to better comprehend and transcend the richness and substance it can offer. Vinification is operated in tronconic vats, in tuns, in barrels of non-Bordeaux size.
Olivier Dauga, oenologist and consultant known as the
“Wine Tailor”, loves tradition, terroir, and has deep respect for what the nature has to offer in order to bring out wonderful potions in the bottles. An external view committed in the spirit of the wines of Cantinot. His advices enabled Florence and Yann, still prompted by their entrepreneurship willpower, to give birth to the last of the range ...
'Orbite' (with an English pronunciation). It is THE very 'confidential' production par excellence, stemming from an outstanding vinification: whole bunches are poured in 710-liter microvinificators on rotary jacks (prototype has a value of €3,500) and will be matured in 300-liter barrels afterwards.
“The wine has a lot of body, elegance, fruitiness, colour and a wide aromatic palet, its powerfulness has to be mastered. The 2009 is made of 50% Merlot and 50% Malbec. The 2010 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. We expect to create an exceptional wine.” Florence explains.
Florence et Yann Bouscasse “Orbite distinguishes itself by its blending, different for each vintage. It thus is a wine of a class of its own, with a long finish, perfectly silky. Truly the cuvee for the most demanding palates...” Yann comments (the first vintage, the 2009, will be released at the end of 2011).
The fact that young siblings are involved in the running of an estate, especially in times of crisis in the vineyards, is rare enough to be underlined: Tristan is in charge of the trade part and travels the length and breadth of United States, Asia, Northern Europe (except Belgium where numerous other Bordeaux wines are very present) and soon Australia. Sophie finishes studying and will manage the future bed and breakfast (7 rooms) as well as the special event organization of the domain. As for Alexis, he chose to become a history and geography teacher, but even with a remote implication, he indirectly participates in the estate... What a beautiful cohesion than those two generations who strive on the same land!
“For us nothing is systematic, whether it is in the vineyard, or in the winery, or for the collegiate decisions.” Florence confirms.
Story of respect, story of a family, for the continuity of a great adventure on the lands of Blaye swept by sea spray from the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. Florence Varaine
Château Cantinot
Lieu dit Cantinot
33390 CARS
Tél. : +33 (0)5 57 64 31 70
Fax : +33 (0)5 57 64 29 13 www.chateau-cantinot.com
