Chateau Pouget

The history of Chateau Pouget dated back to Prieure de Cantenac, thus this estate shared the same heritage with neighbors Boyd-Cantenac and Prieure-Lichine. There was a record showing that in 1748 the estate was inherited by Francois-Antoine Pouget, presumably from his father.

Francois-Antoine subsequently passed to his daughter Claire who went on to marry Pierre-Antoine de Chavailles in 1771, with the estate under the family for over a century, during which it was ranked as a fourth growth in the 1855 classification.

In 1906 it came into the hands of the modern-day proprietors, purchased by Pierre Guillemet, who also purchased Boyd-Cantenac in 1930s, directly opposite the estate on the road. The two chateaux remained under the same ownership since, and now Pierre’s son Lucien is in charge.

The vines account for 17 hectares of the Margaux appellation, sited on sandy gravels, averaging 37 years of age. Planted at 10000 vines per hectare, the mix is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

No heavy use of chemical fertilizer or other treatments were given at Pouget, with Lucien focusing on natural methods against oidium and mildew. There is no grand chateau at Pouget, with the buildings essentially cellars and then converted into living quarters in the 19^th century.

The grapes are hand-harvested, undergoing fermentation in stainless steel vats, with pumping over and about 35 days of maceration. The wine then spent up to 18 months in oak, of which half were renewed each vintage.

The wine is then bottled without filtration, with the grand vin being Chateau Pouget with only 3000 bottles were made per annum. A second wine called Chateau La Tour Hassac was also produced, with 2000 cases.

I have recently tasted the 2005 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance
Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.

Nose
Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of black fruit of blackcurrant, plum and blackberry, oak notes of cedar, pungent spice of licorice, sweet spice of cloves, maturity notes of sweet tobacco, kernel notes of coffee. The wine is developing.

Palate
Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium tannin of ripe and silky texture, fully-integrated into the wine, with medium alcohol and medium body. It has medium intensity flavors of black fruit such as blackberry, cassis and plum, oak notes of cedar, pungent spice of licorice, and finishes with a medium length.

Conclusion
Very good quality Margaux with elegant with good finesse, a pleasant surprise in fact, the wine has an intense nose showing good range of characters, but the real enjoyment comes on the palate, with a fine structure, balanced acidity and ripeness, offering what a fantastic Margaux is noted for, feminine and with grace. If only the length can be longer this wine would reach another level. Ready to drink now, it can further develop for another 4-6 years.