Château Falfas, Côtes de Bourg
AOC: Côtes de Bourg
Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec
Viticulture: Biodynamic certified (ECOCERT, Biodyvin)
Size: 20 Hectares
Terroir: Limestone, Clay, Silex
Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec
Viticulture: Biodynamic certified (ECOCERT, Biodyvin)
Size: 20 Hectares
Terroir: Limestone, Clay, Silex
Hailing from Saumur where she grew up in a winemaking family, Véronique and her husband, John Cochran purchased 20 hectares of vines close to the Gironde river outside the town of Bourg in the mid-1980s. These vines are surrounded by another 15 hectares of forest. Sadly, John passed away in 2009, but Véronique continues to make some of the most compelling wines in the area.
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Véronique was one of the earliest adopters of biodynamic farming in the region, having converted the entire estate in 1988. This is no doubt an influence from her father, François Bouchet, one of the pioneering farmers, researchers, and authors in the fields who started farming his own estate, Domaine de Château Gaillard, using these methods in the 1960s. All work in the vineyard is done by hand, and occasionally with draught horses for light tillage, and the average age of the vines is around 35-40 years old.
In the cellar, Véronique makes use of old concrete vats as well as barrels of different sizes and ages. Macerations are usually quite long lasting up to a month with very little, if any, punchdowns to minimize extraction. As the chai is built into the hillside, it remains cool year-round allowing for slow natural fermentations to occur. The result are incredibly pure, supple, and terroir-driven wines that blow us away year after year.
Les Demoiselles de Falfas: A fresh and invigorating young Bordeaux that is raised entirely in concrete tank. The merlot and cabernet sauvignon for this cuvée come from young vines and it maintains just the right amount of structure to make it incredibly food-friendly.
Chateau Falfas: This is the flagship label at the estate. A blend of all the varieties grown on the estate with the majority comprised of merlot, it is raised in barrique, 1/3 of which are new, for up to 14 months. This is classic, elegant wine that drinks well young but has the stuffing for medium-term aging.
Le Chevalier: The top dog in the lineup, Le Chevalier is a blend of mainly cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc with the remainder merlot. The grapes are sourced from the oldest vines planted at the estate (around 75 years old) and it is aged entirely in new oak for 18 months. This is meant for serious cellaring, and we think it really starts to reveal itself after about five years.
Chateau Falfas: This is the flagship label at the estate. A blend of all the varieties grown on the estate with the majority comprised of merlot, it is raised in barrique, 1/3 of which are new, for up to 14 months. This is classic, elegant wine that drinks well young but has the stuffing for medium-term aging.
Le Chevalier: The top dog in the lineup, Le Chevalier is a blend of mainly cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc with the remainder merlot. The grapes are sourced from the oldest vines planted at the estate (around 75 years old) and it is aged entirely in new oak for 18 months. This is meant for serious cellaring, and we think it really starts to reveal itself after about five years.
