Château Corbin - Grand Cru Classé 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

A Corbin that builds in power with satiny smoothness and energy in the tannins and a finish of great distinction, marked by floral nuances very typical of Pomerol.

About the estate:

Anabelle Cruse-Bardinet, who comes from one of Bordeaux's leading wine families, now has a firm grip on her Corbin terroir, where she produces 13 hectares of wines typical of this area, closer in texture to Pomerol than to Saint-Émilion Côte. Added to this is a particular finesse born of improved mastery of the aging process, thanks to the new winery, which has been in use since the 2016 vintage. Remarkable value for money.

Decanter

About wine:

An obvious coffee roasting aroma suggesting well-handled oak, this wine has balance and definition, with notes of slate and ripe blueberry, clean tannins, and a fresh, sappy finish. Elegant yet concentrated, serious in its expression but with brilliance. Drink between 2024 and 2040.

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

Combining cement tank and new oak barrel aging for the first time to allow the fruit to shine, the 2018 Ch. Corbin is a resounding success! The fruit explodes on the nose, particularly blackcurrant and redcurrant. This fruitiness is echoed with the same intensity on the palate, which is full-bodied, warm and sappy, framed by beautiful silky, well-integrated tannins. A wine with character and a bright future.

About the estate:

Both from old Bordeaux families, Anabelle Cruse-Bardinet, supported by her husband Sébastien, took over the family vineyard in 1999, which had been acquired by her great-grandparents in 1924 and passed down through four generations of women. This is a very old estate (the foundations of the main building date back to the 15th century) which is said to have been one of the strongholds of the Black Prince (known as "Corbin" because of the raven color of his armor). The vineyard covers 13 hectares, partly planted on ancient sandy soil and partly on clay.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About wine:

The beautiful structure of the 2018 grand cru, with tannins shaped by the terroir and new, gentler extraction practices—under the effect of reductive vinification—retains the initial fruitiness with sharp tannins. Half of the vintage is aged in new wood, which leaves a hint of smokiness, a signature of its youth, while the other half is aged in vats. The subtle balance suggests that it will age beautifully.

About the estate:

For the past 20 years in Corbin, Anabelle Cruse-Bardinet has been replanting the family's 13-hectare vineyard located in the heart of the former Seigneurie Corbin, on sandy gravel soils with a light structure and blue clay. This method allows most of the young plots to contribute to the grand vin. Living on the property with her children, she takes great care of the ecosystem. Her winery, which was renovated four years ago, combines eighteen small concrete vats for twenty plots. Since then, the vintage, both the grand vin and the second wine, has gained in precision, culminating in the 2019, a great demonstration of finesse and balance. Supported by a new cellar master, Annabelle, herself an oenologist, has freed herself from the advice of Jean-Philippe Faure to follow her instincts, and has brilliantly proven that she knows what she is doing.

James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Coming from the northwest of Saint-Emilion, not far from the border of Pomerol, Château Corbin 2018 is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, which was aged in 50% new French oak barrels. This excellent Saint-Emilion has a fragrant nose of black raspberries, blackberries, toasted spices, dried flowers, and loamy earth. This very good Saint-Emilion has a fragrant nose of black raspberries, blackberries, toasted spices, dried flowers, and clay soil. Much more refined and elegant now in the bottle than it was in the barrel, it is medium-bodied to full-bodied and has a classic chalky minerality of Saint-Emilion, quality tannins, and a beautiful finish. It is worth seeking out, and although it already offers pleasure, it will benefit from just 3-4 years in the cellar, with a cellaring potential of 10-15 years. It is worth seeking out, and although it already offers pleasure, it will benefit from just 3-4 years in the cellar, with an aging potential of 10-15 years.