21368 customer reviews

Château Balac 2008 - Cru Bourgeois

Haut-Médoc|Red wine

3.5/5 (80 customers)

Notes: Hachette: 2** (Remarkable Wine) + Editor’s Choice, Decanter 4**** (Highly Recommended) and ranked among the 100 best wines of 2011
“The least one can say is that the transition from Luc Touchais to his son Lionel has been a success. For his first vintage, Lionel—a trained oenologist—has pulled off a masterstroke. Clad in a crimson velvet robe, this bottle captivates with its bouquet of vibrant aromas: dried fruits, toasted almonds, blackberry jam, and red berries. On the palate, it is triumphant: rich, velvety, long-finishing, and supported by a lovely tannic structure, it reveals a balance that borders on perfection. Already very harmonious, it will be just as harmonious in four or five years. This wine is an undisputed favorite and deserves a fine dish: a salmis of wood pigeon to stay true to the Médoc spirit.” (Hachette Wine Guide 2012)

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Estate

Château Balac

Vintage

2008

Designation

Haut-Médoc

Region

Bordeaux

Grape Varieties

40 % Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc

Regions

40% heavy clay, 30% clay-limestone, 30% sandy loam. Average age of the vines: 30 years.

Viticulture

Yield: 35 hl/ha

Grape Harvest

Manuals

Winemaking

Traditional, with an 18-day maceration period.

Livestock farming

Aged in oak barrels (40% new barrels) for 12 months, no fining

Alcohol content

13%

Eye

A pretty dark color with purplish highlights

Nose

The nose reveals notes of black fruit, cedar, spices, leather, and bouquet garni

Palate

With lovely dark fruit notes, grainy tannins, elegant and flavorful acidity, and a full range of flavors.

Serve

served in a carafe at 17°–18°

Open

and pour it into a carafe 2 hours beforehand

Drink from

2012

High point

2013

Drink before

2019

Production

65,000 bottles

Food and wine pairings

Une viande rouge grillée ou en sauce, de l'agneau rôti, un perdreau rôti, un magret de canard aux cerises, un plateau de fromages affinés...<br/>

More information at Château Balac

More information at Haut-Médoc

Bettane & Desseauve

Rated Estate (2021 Guide) Selected (An estate or winery that impressed us with one or more of its wines, though we are unable to offer a general assessment of the style of its entire range)

Guide Hachette des vins

Rated estate (2020 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer’s wines regularly receive awards from the guide)

About the estate:

A noble estate in the 14th century, this 20-hectare vineyard is dominated by an elegant Carthusian monastery built by Victor Louis in the late 18th century. It was purchased in 1964 by the Touchais family, who came from the Anjou wine region. Luc Touchais began replanting the vineyard in 1973 and passed it on in 2005 to his son Lionel, an oenologist with extensive experience at various foreign estates.

Wine Enthusiast

Rated estate (2020 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Wine Enthusiast)

Jancis Robinson

Rated: Recommended

James Suckling

Rated: Recommended

Customer rating

3.5/5

based on 80 reviews

Review by Mr. FRANCK S. Published on March 29, 2016

A really good wine that I'm drinking right now. Everyone—friends and family alike—agrees that it's very, very good.