Château Gachon 2018 Montagne Saint-Émilion

£11.25
Tasting notes
Great aromas and taste of dark fruits with good tannins and a long finish. Ideal with roast and grilled meats and mature cheeses.

Why we recommend this wine
We visited the minor regions of Bordeaux (see our trip notes here) specifically to find good quality, affordable wines and came across quite a few. This Merlot dominated blend is typical and up there with the best of them.

The wine
Château Gachon is located on 15 hectares of clay soils, a mere 400m from the world famous Château Petrus, close to the hamlet of Pomerol (not a claim one can believe looking at maps of the area, but then they live there). Classified within the district of the Montagne Saint-Emilion. A blend of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%); this wine is a deep ruby colour with purple hues and has a soft nose of cherry, cassis, and spice. On the palate it is well balanced with a solid tannic structure and a complementary soft mid-palate of ripe fruits such as plums and red berries, well-integrated oak ageing (12 months) add structure and spice to the palate.
A vegan and vegetarian wine.

The wine estate
Château Gachon is the property of the Arpin family, vignerons for eight generations. Their paternal grandfather of started with one hectare of Pomerol and have expanded over the years acquiring new land in Pomerol, Lalande de Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Deciding to rely on the quality of production they have invested in state-of-the-art equipment - thermo regulated vinification cellars, pneumatic press, micro bubbling... and have also adopted ‘nurture nature’ practices in the vineyards.

Food and wine
It has the fruit and tannins to go well with the slight charring of meat from roasts and grills and also to offset the taste of strong cheeses. Also see our guide to pairing food and wine here.

Did you know?
There are four wines areas to the North of Saint Emilion that have that famous appellation’s name appended to theirs. Combined they cover a smaller area but there are certainly better value for money wines here as this one attests.