Château Crabitey 2011

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A very exuberant and ripe nose, richly fruity, with pronounced notes of eucalyptus and truffle, along with floral hints; full-bodied on the palate, very aromatic, with firm tannins and a refreshing quality. Good length, with good aging potential.

About the estate:

In 1872, the Franciscan sisters founded the Providences orphanage at Château Crabitey. The vineyard was the community’s primary source of income. In 1985, they enlisted the help of Jean-Ralph de Butler, an agricultural engineer, who refined the estate. Today, his son Arnaud is expanding on his father’s legacy and remains the sole owner, as the sisters withdrew from Crabitey in 2008. This vineyard is one of the most meticulously tended in the Portets area and certainly the one that produces the most balanced wines. Here, we find ourselves at the heart of classic Bordeaux flavor.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

A wine made from equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its intense color is followed by a delicate bouquet, blending notes of aging with very ripe red fruits. The fruit takes on candied notes on the palate, which is full-bodied and powerful, though it needs a little time to refine.

About the estate:

A former orphanage and vineyard established in 1872 by the Franciscan Sisters on the Portets plateau. In 1985, the order called upon Jean-Ralph de Butler, an agricultural engineer, to modernize the estate, and eventually sold it to him in 2008. Arnaud de Butler took over in 1999. The vineyard covers 28 hectares on Garonne gravel soils.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Intense fruitiness of black berries, with hints of wood, leather, and tobacco, on a straightforward and firm palate, with a fresh, long finish and particularly fine tannins. A classic, harmonious, and pleasant wine.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Even if you’re not familiar with this estate, this well-crafted 2011 stands out in tastings. Crafted in a refined, fruity style, it offers notes of tobacco, black cherry, plum, and soy. It has a deep ruby color, medium body, no harshness, and a full-bodied palate. Although not very complex, it is a notable Graves to be enjoyed over the next 7 to 8 years.

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

About the estate:

With 28 hectares of vineyards under his management—a significant portion of which lies on one of the most beautiful gravelly hillsides in Portets—Arnaud de Butler has, over the past fifteen years, established this Graves wine as one of the appellation’s benchmarks. In 2008, he launched a major vineyard restructuring program, prioritizing Cabernet Sauvignon on the finest hillsides of his estate. A wise choice, as evidenced by the significance of this grape variety in the quality of recent vintages (particularly the 2014, which will be available later this year). His wines have become significantly fuller-bodied and more assertive over the past 10 years. Gaining in smoothness and fruit expression, the wines have also made tremendous strides in elegance, both in white and red. Often full-bodied, the reds are never better than in their first three or four years in the bottle and up to ten years for the most concentrated vintages.

Wine Spectator