Château La Commanderie Saint Estèphe Cru Bourgeois
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Only six feet of soil separate the Chateau La Commanderie vineyard from legendary neighbor Cos d’Estournel, and just below this site sits Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
- This is as good as it gets for long-palate value in Saint-Estephe.Château La Commanderie is one of those hidden gems of Saint-Estèphe, which has managed to remain affordable while many of the prestigious Médoc appellations have become inaccessible.
- Average vine are is 30 years.
Varietal Composition: 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
Elaboration: Traditional with manual tillage, disbudding, and leaf thinning. Mechanical harvest with light crushing. Traditional vinification in temperature-controlled vats. Aged 12 months in oak barrels, a third of which are renewed annually.
Tasting Notes: Predominantly Merlot, Château La Commanderie is a rich, smooth, and concentrated wine with a silky texture and beautiful balance. This wine combines an intense bouquet of ripe fruit in harmony with the toasted notes of the wood, and a persistent and generous palate, built on well-integrated tannins and a lovely fresh finish.
PRESS
2019 – 90 James Suckling | 88-90 Vinous
2020 – 91 Decanter | 90 James Suckling 90 Vinous
2021 – 92 Wine Enthusiast
2022 – 90 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
In 1956, Gabriel Meffre, a nurseryman by trade, fell in love with the Bordeaux region and purchased his first hectares of vines next to Château Montrose. In 1961, he gifted his vineyard with a magnificent 18th-century château. The Chateau La Commanderie estate is deeply rooted in the region’s history. It’s a name was given by ministerial authorization under Napoleon III, and its foundations date back to the time of the Knights Templar commandery. Destroyed over the centuries, the current building was completely rebuilt after the Revolution from the original foundations. In 1996, Claude Meffre succeeded his father and became fully involved in the management and development of the estate. He thus maintains the Cru Bourgeois classification, which has been in effect since 1932.
Located in the immediate vicinity of some very fine wines, the terroir of Château La Commanderie benefits from a quality gravel that gives it an exceptional character. While its main plot overlooks the Gironde on the highest ridge in the commune, the other two rival each other in the grandeur of their neighbors: the first is adjacent to Château Montrose, the second is located on a slope of very compact gravel, between Cos d’Estournel and Lafon-Rochet, opposite Lafite-Rothschild.