Château Crabitan Bellevue

Sainte-Croix-du-Mont

The vineyards of Sainte- Croix-du-Mont sit on the opposite side of the river Garonne to their illustrious neighbours of Sauternes and Barsac.  We have been visiting the Solane family since the early 1980s.  This is a 22 hectare vineyard which has been in the family for many generations.  We used to meet Bernard originally but now it is his son Nicolas who is the winemaker and it was a pleasure to visit him again in the Spring, when we were once again blown away by the fabulous quality of his wines.

 

The varietals making up the wine are Semillon mainly, with some Sauvignon Blanc and a small portion of Muscadelle.  Making these vins liquoreux is a very labour intensive process, which is why the wines from Sauternes command such a high price. 

 

 

To make these wines it is crucial to let the grapes ripen as fully as possible to achieve the sugar levels required to make a dessert wine, that doesn’t require fortifying with additional alcohol.  This is a dangerous game because frequently at harvest time in the autumn the rains can occur unexpectedly and dilute or ruin the harvest.  To achieve maximum ripeness it is necessary to pay grape pickers to pick the grapes several times over a period of weeks.  This is where the extended family members help, as otherwise this process would be unaffordable.

Finally, in certain years something miraculous happens.  An early morning mist drifts off the river onto the vineyards, and this encourages the growth of the fungus, Botrytis cinerea, known as the pourriture noble.  This fungus shrivels up the grapes, so that they start to resemble raisins, and concentrates the sugars while enhancing the acidity, and producing a memorable flavour of its own, often described as like marmalade.

We are offering a Mixed Case of 6 bottles, consisting of two bottles of each of

Château Crabitan Bellevue 2007                                                                                                                         £8.75 AC Sainte-Croix-du-Mont                                                                                                                                               This was an excellent year, producing wines of great concentration and this is no exception. It has a light colour with an enticing nose of marmalade from the Botrytis, it is very concentrated with lovely flavours of honey, apricot and hints of Tarte Tatin.  It finishes cleanly with good acidity and has great length.

Château Crabitan Bellevue 2006                                                                                                                         £8.50 AC Sainte-Croix-du-Mont                                                                                                                                                   This was a very good vintage albeit a little lighter than the 2007.  It is paler in colour but there is even more Botrytis on the nose, which leads into a more elegant palate with honey and barley sugar flavours, finishing with a citrus twist.  Once again, there is a long aftertaste.

Château Crabitan Bellevue Cuvée Spéciale 2005                                                                                             £11.50 AC Sainte-Croix-du-Mont                                                                                                                                               The Cuvée Spéciale is only made in exceptional years.  Nicolas then ages this in small oak barrels to give more complexity. This is deep gold in colour. It has a nose of honey and crème brulée.  It is decadently rich on the palate, with flavours of candied apricot, marmalade, honey and great intensity. It finishes cleanly but with less acidity than the other two wines and has great length.  This gained a well-deserved Coup de Coeur in the 2009 Guide Hachette.

All three of these wines will go perfectly with most desserts, but they are also superb with cheese. Finally, you take a leaf out of the French book and enjoy them either as an aperitif or with Foie Gras.  They really come into their own over the Christmas period, and would also make an excellent present!

These wines are fantastic value for money – similar wines are widely available at similar prices in the shops,                but  for a  smaller 50cl bottle!

Mixed Case price for 6 bottles : £57.50