Château Penin - Les Cailloux 2014

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Patrick Carteyron is one of the leading figures in the vast Bordeaux appellation. He has made his Château Penin a benchmark across various appellations, wine types, and vintages. The family-run estate has grown from 13 hectares in 1854 to 40 hectares today. The red wines—and especially the fine cuvées, Les Cailloux and Grande Sélection—are produced on a stony Quaternary terroir, the estate’s most prestigious. The more common sandy and clay soils are reserved for producing delicious rosés and clairets. Year after year, the clairet remains “the” benchmark for this appellation. Here you’ll find a wide range of wines at every price point, all focused on fruit, quality tannins, and freshness—including charming, full-bodied whites and rosés, and the famous clairet, as mentioned, with its consistently vibrant fruit, which has built the estate’s reputation. The reds are richly fruity and pleasing, notably the ever-vibrant Grande-Sélection cuvée.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

One of the most reliable names among regional appellations, with several Favorites its credit. A 50-hectare estate situated on gravelly soil on the left bank of the Dordogne, across from Saint-Émilion. Founded by the Carteyron family in 1855, it has been managed since 1982 by Patrick, an oenologist.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The 2014 vintage of Les Cailloux is a great success. It’s a full-bodied, impressive wine with lovely spice and a long finish.

About the estate:

Rated HVE3, this wine is one of the finest examples of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur. Penin is refining its lineup by focusing on limestone and gravel soils, while retaining the finesse of a fruit profile that appeals to a wide audience. Under the “Natur’” label, the estate produces a rosé, a clairet, and a red, thereby shaking up the conventions of classic Bordeaux to some extent.

Wine Enthusiast