March - Wine of the Month : Château Peyfaures
By Petronella Salvi
Château Peyfaures, Cuvée L’Alpha 2005, RED 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
COLOUR : Deep, young purple, ruby crimson heart with ruby crimson at the rim. Quite dense. Bright, red crimson reflections.
NOSE : Smooth, warm attack. Deeply ripe, rich black fruit. Blackberry, cranberry and blueberry notes. Deep seated spice in background. Fresh fruit acidity, notes of fresh fig and ripe grapes.
PALATE : Very fresh, sweet fruit attack. Excellent acidity and refreshing flavours. Dark, black fruit, hint of fresh liquorice. Tannins present, but well fleshed and fruit driven, integrating nicely. Round and generous structure. Fruit
THE LOCATION
An attractive Girondine château, surrounded by a splendid park of proud upright trees, the vestiges, quite a few fortunately, of the devastating 1999 hurricane.
WHERE ?
On the very summit overlooking Saint Emilion, across the Dordogne River, with Bordeaux just visible in the distance across the Entre-Deux -Mers and the Garonne. Situated on the Genissac plateau, Château Peyfaures commands a 360view and its vineyards are for the most part planted right on the brow of the plateau.
WHO ?
The name already figured in earlier editions of Féret, the wine bible of Bordeaux. In 1937, Nicole Godeau’s paternal grandfather bought the property, and like many small wine estates of the time, he adhered to the local wine cooperative.
Everything was sold in bulk. In 2001, Nicole Godeau took over from her parents and important decisions faced her immediately. She was an active and successful pharmacist in Libourne, with a family, her husband, Henri, is also in the medical profession. Their daughter, Marie-Amélie, who has taken over the pharmacy, and their son, Laurent, who is in marketing after acquiring a diploma from the Ecole Supériere de Commerce, Nantes.
WHY ?
Château Peyfaures is Nicole Godeau’s heritage and part of her family history. In 2001, selling in bulk procured a secure income, but it was a disadvantage. In her opinion, the “terroir” and its potential merited château bottling.
She took the plunge and decided to become entirely independent and sell only bottle finished wine. Then misfortune struck, first September 11th and its economic consequences, and then, the wine world turmoil …
HOW ?
The château, today, is a warm, gracious stone building, but it is above all, a welcoming home. The vinification installations she inherited were practical, but nothing more, and the help of an architect was procured to find an effective, but affordable and feasible solution. Nicole Godeau did the preparation for her DUAD at Bordeaux University.µ
THE VINES
WHO ?
Fortune was smiling on the endeavours and the courage of Nicole Godeau, and in 2002, she met Michel Duclot, an experienced pruning specialist. With his love of the “terroir” he tailored the vineyard for top quality wine producing.
The persisting incoherencies were corrected in subsequent years and Château Peyfaures is now set for a positive and adventurous future. Nicole Godeau surrounded herself with a young, dedicated and enthusiastic team, including the cellar master. This is not a great, well known growth, in a prestigious appellation, but a hard working property driven by dedication and the desire to build for the next generation, whilst remaining confident, despite the present crisis …
WHERE ?
The vineyards of Château Peyfaures are mainly consolidated around the château, but there are parcels on the high lying plateau and slopes a small distance away. Her father left her well tended vineyards, but Nicole Godeau follows a vastly different philosophy and tremendous adaptation had to be carried out.
The restructured vineyard was set to carry the bunches in a regular fashion and green pruning is basically unnecessary because of the excellent pruning work by the team trained by Michel Duclot, who still supervises it every year.
WHAT ?
What ? The soil consists of relatively deep, ferruginous, calcareous clay. The rain is needed to replenish the essential water table. Château Peyfaures renews its vines regularly over a period of 20 years. Great attention has been given to the rootstock and clone selection in replanted vines. Density is not equal.
Some rows are at 2 metres and others 1 metre, apart. The 60 acres is divided into 51 acres of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and 9 acres with equal parts of the two Cabernet varieties. Severe pruning both to restrain quantity and to avoid the need for eventual, large scale deleafing. Vines are trained higher for better canopy management. The bunches hang freely and away from the leaves for aeration and humidity control.
HOW ?
Minimum intervention viticulture is an investment, but the vines and the soil are none the less worked in detail for improved quality. This is in the hands of the Maison Touzan, who believes in observation before action, thus avoiding systematic treatments. The selection for Dames de Coeur du Château Peyfaures is made on the vine, according to the taste and the quality of the grapes from the parcels known to produce the finest wine. However, without stripping them, to ensure the quality of the two other wines.
THE WINES
WHO ?
Fortune was smiling on the endeavours and the courage of Nicole Godeau, and in 2002, she met Michel Duclot, an experienced pruning specialist. With his love of the “terroir” he tailored the vineyard for top quality wine producing.
The persisting incoherencies were corrected in subsequent years and Château Peyfaures is now set for a positive and adventurous future. Nicole Godeau surrounded herself with a young, dedicated and enthusiastic team, including the cellar master. This is not a great, well known growth, in a prestigious appellation, but a hard working property driven by dedication and the desire to build for the next generation, whilst remaining confident, despite the present crisis …
WHERE ?
The vineyards of Château Peyfaures are mainly consolidated around the château, but there are parcels on the high lying plateau and slopes a small distance away. Her father left her well tended vineyards, but Nicole Godeau follows a vastly different philosophy and tremendous adaptation had to be carried out.
The restructured vineyard was set to carry the bunches in a regular fashion and green pruning is basically unnecessary because of the excellent pruning work by the team trained by Michel Duclot, who still supervises it every year.
WHAT ?
What ? The soil consists of relatively deep, ferruginous, calcareous clay. The rain is needed to replenish the essential water table. Château Peyfaures renews its vines regularly over a period of 20 years. Great attention has been given to the rootstock and clone selection in replanted vines. Density is not equal.
Some rows are at 2 metres and others 1 metre, apart. The 60 acres is divided into 51 acres of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and 9 acres with equal parts of the two Cabernet varieties. Severe pruning both to restrain quantity and to avoid the need for eventual, large scale deleafing. Vines are trained higher for better canopy management. The bunches hang freely and away from the leaves for aeration and humidity control.
HOW ?
Minimum intervention viticulture is an investment, but the vines and the soil are none the less worked in detail for improved quality. This is in the hands of the Maison Touzan, who believes in observation before action, thus avoiding systematic treatments. The selection for Dames de Coeur du Château Peyfaures is made on the vine, according to the taste and the quality of the grapes from the parcels known to produce the finest wine. However, without stripping them, to ensure the quality of the two other wines.
THE WINES
WHO ?
The oenological laboratory of Michel Rolland advises and consults, and until the 2006 vintage Château Peyfaures was followed by Ludwig Vaneron. Dany Rolland supported Nicole Godeau’s decision to rise to the challenge. The Cellar Master is David Violeau.
WHERE ?
A stone shed built east – west (traditional in Bordeaux) was transformed into a maturation cellar with limited storage, incorporated into an L shape the buildings to unify the installation. Modestly sized, but well equipped cellar. Funds and space at present dictate, but do not overpower decision making.
HOW ?
The position on the plateau with gentle slopes is ideal for machine harvesting, which allows the liberty of making decisions when the moment is right, rather than when the pickers are ready. The moment of optimum maturity is awaited with bated breath, and regularly measured and verified. Parcellar vinification. Selection on tables, set up inside the fermentation cellar, with vibrating tips underneath, which are then elevated to drop the grapes directly into the thermo – regulated stainless steel fermentation vats. Vinification is not systematic indeed it is adapted to each vat (parcel) and the vintage. Pumping over depends on the tannic profiles.
Dames de Coeur, produced only in exceptional years – 2003, 2005 and 2006, is matured in 100% oak barrels, for 12 months. Malolactic in barrel. Nicole Godeau finds the oak of Tonnellerie Belair, and specific barrels from Nadalié, particularly suitable for harmonising her wine. She prefers a long, medium toasting, which stabilises it better. Stirring on the lees during the winter, with a spring racking, and again before bottling. Delicate care prevails. Fining with egg whites and a light, cleaning filtration before bottling to avoid stripping or tiring the wine.
L’Alpha is made exactly the same way, except that malolactic fermentation in vat and 12 months maturation in 8% new oak, 57% in one and two wine barrels and 35% in vat. Bottling is contracted out to the company of TBE. Château Peyfaures also uses a professional storage facility, with FDA certification, for its bottled wine. At present, the effluent is treated by the specialists, Paetzold.
Nicole Godeau’s philosophy is basically to remain reasonable, realistic and available, and to listen to advice from others. She endeavours to make the right decision at the right time. “What was a battle six years ago has become a challenge today”, she admits honestly. She desires to make supple, pleasing wines with a certain refinement, but which correspond to the expression of her femininity, whilst revealing the precious “terroir”.
The oenological laboratory of Michel Rolland advises and consults, and until the 2006 vintage Château Peyfaures was followed by Ludwig Vaneron. Dany Rolland supported Nicole Godeau’s decision to rise to the challenge. The Cellar Master is David Violeau.
WHERE ?
A stone shed built east – west (traditional in Bordeaux) was transformed into a maturation cellar with limited storage, incorporated into an L shape the buildings to unify the installation. Modestly sized, but well equipped cellar. Funds and space at present dictate, but do not overpower decision making.
HOW ?
The position on the plateau with gentle slopes is ideal for machine harvesting, which allows the liberty of making decisions when the moment is right, rather than when the pickers are ready. The moment of optimum maturity is awaited with bated breath, and regularly measured and verified. Parcellar vinification. Selection on tables, set up inside the fermentation cellar, with vibrating tips underneath, which are then elevated to drop the grapes directly into the thermo – regulated stainless steel fermentation vats. Vinification is not systematic indeed it is adapted to each vat (parcel) and the vintage. Pumping over depends on the tannic profiles.
Dames de Coeur, produced only in exceptional years – 2003, 2005 and 2006, is matured in 100% oak barrels, for 12 months. Malolactic in barrel. Nicole Godeau finds the oak of Tonnellerie Belair, and specific barrels from Nadalié, particularly suitable for harmonising her wine. She prefers a long, medium toasting, which stabilises it better. Stirring on the lees during the winter, with a spring racking, and again before bottling. Delicate care prevails. Fining with egg whites and a light, cleaning filtration before bottling to avoid stripping or tiring the wine.
L’Alpha is made exactly the same way, except that malolactic fermentation in vat and 12 months maturation in 8% new oak, 57% in one and two wine barrels and 35% in vat. Bottling is contracted out to the company of TBE. Château Peyfaures also uses a professional storage facility, with FDA certification, for its bottled wine. At present, the effluent is treated by the specialists, Paetzold.
Nicole Godeau’s philosophy is basically to remain reasonable, realistic and available, and to listen to advice from others. She endeavours to make the right decision at the right time. “What was a battle six years ago has become a challenge today”, she admits honestly. She desires to make supple, pleasing wines with a certain refinement, but which correspond to the expression of her femininity, whilst revealing the precious “terroir”.
MARKET SITUATION
Château Peyfaures is exported to China and Hong Kong as well as Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. The wine not yet represented in the United States. Interested imported are invited to contact the château at www.chateau-peyfaures.com
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