93pts James Suckling

Elegant nose with blackberries and licorice. Opens up with Earl Grey, cedar and steely mineral character. Full and intense on the palate with polished dark fruit and refined tannins. Wonderful texture and long finish with a tasty licorice note. Drink from 2016.

90pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Chauvin produces a stylish wine, always exhibiting plenty of black cherry fruit intermixed with garrigue notes as well as hints of spice box and Christmas fruitcake in a medium to full-bodied, elegant yet savory and expansively textured style. The 2010 has a precociousness that gives it an up-front, sexy appeal, but then clamps down on the palate as the tannins begin to accumulate in the wine's finish. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 25.

Wine Spectator

Ripe and fleshy, with lots of crushed plum, blackberry paste and steeped fig notes, supported by a spine of charcoal and graphite. Delivers a smoldering, toasty finish. Shows more oomph than purity, but remains solid nonetheless. Drink now through 2017.

Winemaker Notes

Blend: 80% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

Winery Description

The vineyard is located to the north-east of Saint-Emilion, near Pomerol, half-way between Cheval-Blanc and La Cote Roi. The 37 acres are planted with 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernent Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The soil of the estate is sandy while the subsoil is characterised by the presence of clay and iron.

We have been in partnership with BIOVITIS since 1994. Half of the vineyard is ploughed mechanically, while the other half is cultivated with grass-cover between the rows. Green harvesting is carried out throughout the vegetation cycle, to bring yields to 35 to 40 Hl/Ha.

At Chauvin the wine is made in the traditional way, while also making the most of what modernity has to offer: nothing is done systematically and each year every effort is focused on adapting the techniques to the qualities of that year's grapes.