Château Penin Grande Sélection 2010

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Exuberant fruit and lovely smoky notes come together in a silky, smooth, fresh, and well-balanced palate. This is a cuvée that truly captures all the charm of old vines!

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, generous 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 wine:

A château that has become a regular feature in the Guide, presenting its must-try pure Merlot cuvée, Favorite the third time in four years. Behind this Grande Sélection—made from vines over thirty years old—stands a man, Patrick Carteyron, who, year after year, elevates his estate to the ranks of the greatest. His 2010 makes a majestic impression with its deep color and reveals a richly layered nose (crushed blackberry, licorice) with toasty notes. Harmony is already evident on the palate: an ideal blend of concentration, roundness, oak, and fruit (notes of stone fruit), supported by powerful tannins. This wine will be just as enjoyable now as it will be after two years of aging.

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 2010 Grande Sélection is fully developed, full of fruit, well-structured on the finish, and very appealing.

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.

RVF - Guide des Meilleurs Vins à moins de 20 euros € - Gerbelle & Maurange

About the wine:

This pure Merlot from gravel soils boasts a beautifully refined texture and maintains a firm, incisive palate. It’s already making your mouth water and will be enjoyable for the next three years.

Wine Enthusiast