Château Siaurac 2019

Château Siaurac is one of the more unusual wines we offer at Laguna Cellar.  While not a classified growth, this hidden gem of a property was previously owned by the famed First Growth Estate, Château Latour.  In October 2020, Château Siaurac was aquired by Artémis and Suravenir, a group that owns the majority stake of Château Calon Segur.  The property is managed by Vincent Millet, the general manager of the star Third Growth Property, and the trajectory of Château Siaurac is an exciting one without a doubt.  Due to numerous wine critics' ratings rising above 90 points from recent vintages, Château Siaurac is decidedly a property to watch.  The retail price is still under $30, its quality to price ratio is unbeatable.

Château Siaurac is a 46-hectare property located in the commune of Néac – a continuation of the famous Pomerol plateau.  It is the largest estate within Néac, and the vines are planted in one continuous plot. Though Pomerol receives more fanfare and critical acclaim, many argue the heavily graveled clay terroir of Néac is just as good.  There are a lot of winemakers doing amazing things here and the fact that this Right Bank commune is more obscure very much serves to the advantage of bargain hunters.

Perhaps one of the more important reasons why the wines of Château Siaurac are so amazing is because the team is fortunate enough to have Pénélope Godefroy as the technical director. Before coming over to manage Siaurac, Pénélope Godefroy was the oenologist at Château Latour.  Château Latour had so much confidence in the potential of Siaurac, it bought the property and sent its young star oenologist there to do a make-over. 

It was Pénélope who championed the transition of the First Growth property over to biodynamic viticulture, and she brings the same passion and experience to Château Siaurac. Speaking of terroir, Pénélope firmly believes in the potential of the terroir at Château Siaurac.  The estate has practiced sustainable agriculture and Biodynamic inspired techniques for a very long time.  They completely stopped chemical weeding in 2015 in addition to planting cover crops and using beehives near the vines to help with pollination. 

Château Siaurac has Organic aspirations for the future, and it’s clear Pénélope’s influence on the estate is making critics take notice. 

Their Merlot-based wines have smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and just a kiss of Malbec, lending them an incredibly friendly, charming and easy-drinking quality.  For value-oriented wine lovers who enjoy approachable wines with great structure – look no further than Château Siaurac.  

"The 2019 Siaurac has a more introverted bouquet than some of its Lalande-de-Pomerol peers: deep broody black fruit, touches of undergrowth and black plums. The palate is more vivacious and provides the energy thanks to the keen thread of acidity. It is quite a muscular wine, firm grip with a tang of black pepper towards the finish and a citric aftertaste. It is a bit rough around the edges but the component parts will come together with time." - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate (June 2020), Rating: 90-92, Drink: 2024-2040

''Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Siaurac gives up scents of baked blackberries, stewed plums and Christmas cake with hints of dried Mediterranean herbs, moss-covered tree bark and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rugged frame of chewy tannins and lively acid with just enough restrained, earthy flavors and an herbal lift on the finish.'' Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (6/17/2020) Ratings: (86-88)