Chateau Samion is made by the man responsible for making Petrus the wine it is today. It is one of those wines that you hear about but never see. Its production is tiny and what there is of it is sold on allocation long before it is bottled. They say in life, timing is everything and this couldn’t be truer than when Tarquin was visiting the new warehouse of our favourite Bordeaux negociant and noticed half a pallet of this fabled wine being loaded off a truck. After a little tasting, haggling, begging and possible bribery in the form of a fishing trip to Scotland for our man in Bordeaux, Damien agreed to sell us some. We are delighted to have this small parcel and even more delighted to offer you the opportunity to grab a few bottles or cases.

Chateau Samion is Jean-Claude Berrouet’s private project, a truly artisan wine crafted by the Poet of Pomerol himself. The wine is made from 100% Merlot, handpicked from 50-year-old vines located within a 2ha vineyard in Lalande de Pomerol. Jean-Claude is arguably one of the most talented and influential winemakers the world has seen over the past 50 years. In 1964 he started working with Jean-Pierre Moueix and was responsible for 44 vintages of Chateau Petrus, Chateau Magdelaine and Chateau Trotanoy. He became known as the master of Merlot and under his reign brought about the changes in both the vineyard and winery that have been responsible for making these wines the icons that they are today. Many believe the wines were never better than when Jean-Claude was in charge. He has always been a believer in classical winemaking with natural processes, correct ripening and traditional vinification. This style of winemaking was in stark contrast to the modern, more manufactured style featuring heavy oak and micro-oxygenation pioneered by the likes of Michel Rolland and loved by the influential critic Robert Parker. There was always a risk that his wines would be viewed as old fashioned, but the quality shone through and the wines of Petrus and Trotanoy are now priced in the stratosphere. Chateau Magdelaine is now part of Chateau Bélair-Monange. Samion, fortunately, is priced sensibly and is intended to be drunk and enjoyed, not collected and stored.

The 2ha vineyard is located near the church of Saint-George which dates to the 11th century. It falls within the Lalande de Pomerol AOC on the right bank of Bordeaux which sits just above Pomerol itself. The soils are formed of clay and gravel on limestone and the vineyard enjoys a south/south-east exposure. The vines average 50 years of age and yields are capped at 40hl/ha. The fermentation is done by plot selection in thermo-regulated concrete vats. Pumping over is the only method ever used and the average vatting time is 19/20 days. The wine is aged in French oak (25% new) for 20 months before release.