Saintayme 2018, St Emilion Grand Cru (1x75cl)

The 9 hectare vineyard of Saintayme is planted to almost 100% Merlot. There is also a small percentage of Cabernet Franc planted here. Located in the increasingly popular commune of Saint Etienne de Lisse, here you find the cooler soils of that sector are also the home for Valandraud and Chateau Fleur Cardinale. The vineyard of Saintayme is in 1 single parcel.  The terroir is limestone, clay and gravel soils, similar to what you find at many top Saint Emilion vineyards. On average, the vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,000 vines per hectare. The vines are old at close to 35 years of age.

The wine of Saintayme is produced by the same technical team that makes all the wines for Denis Durantou. The wine is vinified in small, temperature controlled, stainless steel vats.  Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats. According to Denis Durantou, the reason is for better control of the yeast and bacteria. aged in 30% new, French oak, barrels for an average of 14 months.  The production here averages close to 3,500 cases per vintage. Saintayme is a new project for Denis Durantou. Currently, the wine sells for a song, making it one of the better value Right Bank wines from this increasingly expensive region.

Chateau Saintayme is better with at least 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage.  Chateau Saintayme is best enjoyed in the first 4-12 years of life. Young vintages can be decanted for about 1 hour, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Saintayme is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes. Saintayme is also good when matched with aged cheeses and charcuterie.