Château Le Puy 1996 - Côtes de Francs

Château Du Puy 1996 - Côtes de Francs (Today Château Le Puy cuvée Emilien)

Appellation: Côtes de Francs (AOC)
Property: Château Le Puy
Current vintage: Émilien
Vintage: 1996

About the domain:

The estate has been owned by the Amoreau family since 1610! The estate is located on top of the same rocky plateau of clay and limestone as St-Emilion and Pomerol. The name "puy" means summit or podium.

This estate draws its international popularity from a manga (Japanese therefore) which refers to it as "The drops of God". Apart from that, the estate is a pioneer in the field of integrated and ecosystem-friendly viticulture.

Learn more on the very comprehensive Château Le Puy website

About the vintage:

It's hard to find your way around the names of the estate's vintages. The vintage was called "Château du Puy grand vin" until 1999. To be called "Château le Puy grand vin" from 2000. Today it bears the name "Le Puy Emilien".

Other vintages were added year after year: Emilien, Barthélemy, Blaise-Albert, Marie-Elisa, Marie-Cécille, Rose-Marie, Retour des iles.

In addition, the Château has a large wine library and sometimes re-releases certain vintages.

The 1996 vintage in Bordeaux

The 1996 vintage was an exceptional year for Bordeaux, particularly for the Left Bank, but also for the wines of the Right Bank. After a hot summer, ideal conditions in September allowed for a slow and even ripening of the grapes. The Merlots achieved a beautiful richness, and the Cabernet Francs brought structure and freshness.

The 1996 wines are recognized for their remarkable balance between concentration, freshness and aging potential.

Condition of the bottles:

• Level: Perfect, sign of excellent conservation.
• Labels: Stained and weathered by many years in the cellar.
• Cork: Covered with original wax, which cracks and crumbles over time. Special care is taken to preserve the wax, although its fragility is inevitable.

Tasting notes and specificities of the 1996 vintage taken from the official website:

Ruby color with orange highlights.
Fruity nose, aromas of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries like a basket of ripe fruit.
Round mouth, tannins already almost melted, supple, hint of acidity.
Ample and smooth finish.

A wine for laying down, exceptional, of great breed, of great complexity.

Food and wine pairing

Château Le Puy 1996 goes wonderfully with:

• Roast lamb with thyme and candied vegetables.
• Wild duck with figs.
• Osso buco simmered in red wine.
• Platter of mature cheeses (Saint-Nectaire, Morbier).