Château Crabitey 2011

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

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 called upon Jean-Ralph de Butler, an agricultural engineer, who refined the estate. Today, his son Arnaud is building 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 the classic Bordeaux style.

A wine made from equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its intense color is followed by a delicate bouquet, blending notes of aging with those of 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.

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 spans 28 hectares on Garonne gravel soils.

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

Even without being familiar with this estate, this 2011 vintage certainly holds its own 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—without any harshness—and a full-bodied palate. Although it isn’t very complex, it’s a noteworthy Graves to enjoy over the next 7 to 8 years.

At the helm of 28 hectares of vineyards—a significant portion of which lies on one of the most beautiful gravel-covered hillsides in Portets—Arnaud de Butler has, over the past fifteen years or so, turned this Graves wine into one of the appellation’s benchmarks. In 2008, he launched a comprehensive vineyard restructuring program, prioritizing Cabernet Sauvignon on the finest hillsides of his estate. This was a wise choice, as evidenced by the significance of this grape variety in the quality of recent vintages (particularly the 2014 vintage, 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, in both whites and reds. Often full-bodied, the reds are never better than in their first three or four years in the bottle and can age for up to ten years in the most concentrated vintages.