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This morning, we woke up to the jaw-dropping news that Château Angélus just announced it had withdrawn from the Saint-Emilion classification, to save itself from the unjust legal attacks for over a decade.

The legal case culminated in a recent court ruling against the former head of Angélus, Hubert de Bôuard.  He was found guilty of "undue influence" while serving on the government appointed body which set the rules on promoting Saint-Emilion producers to various ranks.  Under these rules, Château Angélus was promoted into the top rank - Premier Grand Cru Classé A of Saint-Emilion.

Until Château Angélus and Château Pavie were promoted in 2012, only Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc were recognized as Premier Grand Cru Classé A of Saint-Emilion.  Unlike the Left Bank that has stuck with the original 1855 Classification

Our selections for August 2021 are:

• Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014, Pessac-Léognan, rated 91-93 (Neal Martin) - Those who love thirst-quenching, fresh, zesty wines should look no further than the offerings of Château de Fieuzal Blanc.  This bright wine with beautifully balanced acidity is the perfect Summer wine and Laguna Cellar’s answer to beating the heat.  Château de Fieuzal is one of the lucky Graves Crus Classés within the prestigious Pessac-Léognan carveout in the area formerly known as the Graves region of the Left Bank.  This sprawling 70-hectare vineyard has a mere 10 hectares devoted to production of white wines and is planted with a mixture of crisp Sauvignon Blanc and the richly honeyed varietal, Semillon.  The team is consulted by the legendary Hubert de Boüard of the Saint-Émilion Grand Crus Classés Class A Estate, Château Angélus. 

Have you tasted Château Figeac? Do you have it in your cellars?  Why do we ask these questions?  Allow us to elaborate.

Unlike the Left Bank classification of Médoc which dates back to 1855, Saint-Émilion revises its classification periodically.  The next revision is slated to be in 2022.  That’s where Château Figeac comes in.  Figeac is one of the estates currently classified as Premiers Grands Crus Classés.  This is a shortlist of 18 producers (out of hundreds) that represent the best of Saint-Émilion.  To be recognized as a member of this group is already quite the honor.  However, the crème de la crème would not be a French expression if we cannot identify a handful few that stand out among peers, nonetheless.  To recognize its best Premiers Grands Crus Classés, Saint-Émilion has its A list: the original two - 

Our selections for June 2021 are:

Anwilka 2007 - A mere 7 kilometers from the ocean in the prestigious region of Stellenbosch, this fabulous red blend is one of the most stunning expressions of South African red wine to date.  This star of a property was purchased in the late 1990s and an extensive replanting of the vineyards subsequently followed.  It was a team effort among three friends: Lowell Jooste – the former 4th generation owner of Klein Constantia before he relocated to southern California, Hubert de Boüard of Château Angélus in Saint-Émilion, and Bruno Prats, the former owner of Château Cos d’Estournel.  The original vintage of Shiraz-Cabernet blend was released in 2005.  The blend beguiled the palates of critics like Robert Parker, who described it as, “the finest red wine I have ever had from South Africa.” Shortly after the

Our selections for April 2021 are:

Château Berliquet 2010 Saint-Émilion, Rated 90-93 (Robert Parker Jr) - This is one of the oldest properties in the Right Bank appellation of Saint-Émilion.  This 10-hectare vineyard is planted with an even split of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  The philosophy of vignerons here is about capturing the tension of the limestone and the strength of clay terroir in every vintage.  Starting in 2007, the legendary Nicolas Thienpont of the famed Saint Émilion Premiere Grand Crus Classé Class ‘B’ estate, Château Pavie Macquin,  and well-known consultant Stephan Derenoncourt began advising this property.  Quality since then has skyrocketed as these gifted vignerons began implementing cutting edge technology such as optical sorting in 2009.  In 2017, Château Berliquet was acquired by the Chanel