Château d’Arche Sauternes 2ème Cru Classé
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Château d’Arche boasts one of the finest terroirs in Sauternes. It is located 30km south of Bordeaux, on a hill above the village of Sauternes.
- The vineyards are unique in that they are bordered by the Garonne and crossed by the river Ciron. The meeting of the cold waters of the Ciron and the warmer waters of the Garonne generates morning fog in late summer, providing optimum humidity. Dry afternoons dry out the grapes and concentrate their aromas.
- Château d’Arche has been practicing environmentally friendly farming practices since 2019.
- Average vine age is 45 years.
Varietal Composition: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Elaboration: Hand harvested. Fermented in stainless steel tanks. Aged 12 to 18 months, 50% new oak, 50% old oak barrels prior to release.
Tasting Notes: On the nose, the wine offers up a beautiful mandarin liqueur aroma and an oak touch with a pastry note. Very rich and generous on the palate, yet retaining wonderful acidity. This wine is characterized by a balanced style and beautifully lingering finish.
PRESS
2015 – 94-96 Wine Advocate | 93 Falstaff | 92 Wine Enthusiast | 91 James Suckling
2016 – 93 Wine Advocate | 91 James Suckling
2017 – 94 James Suckling | 91 Wine Enthusiast | 89-91 Wine Advocate
2018 – 94 Wine Enthusiast | 91-93 Wine Advocate | 90 James Suckling
2019 – 94 Wine Enthusiast | 91-93 Wine Advocate | 90 James Suckling
2020 – 94 Decanter | 93 Wine Enthusiast | 88-90 Wine Advocate
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The founders of Chateau d’Arche were a 13th century French noble family. The chateau was founded in 1611 when Bernard d’Arche established a branch of the family in Bordeaux, where he pioneered a new avenue of winemaking in his family. After the French Revolution, the reunification of the estate took place under the control of Armand Bastit-Saint-Martin and remains a unified estate to this day.
Château d’Arche boasts one of the finest terroirs in Sauternes. Sitting close to the Ciron river, at a point in which the Garonne river intersects, provides the perfect microclimate. Fog from the river intersection delivers optimal humidity that later dries out to concentrate the aromas within the grapes. This”Noble Rot” (Botrytis Cinerea) as some call it is the key to the sweet Sauternes wines, as it forms a grape with intense sugary content to be naturally converted into a delicate syrup in the cellar.
Certified in 2019 for “High Environmental Value” Level 3, the principles of the vineyard are ones of respect to nature and managing all environmental requirements, creating a phytosanitary strategy and managing fertilization responsibly. Horseback ploughing of the vines was also reintroduced into 10 hectares. Each harvest is unique, harvested by hand, sorted, selected and shaped.