Chateau de Pitray Pitray Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux 2020
Chateau de Pitray Pitray Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux
Region: Bordeaux, France
Vintage: 2020
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
ABV: 14.5%
Pitray showcases the plushness and complexity of merlot with layers of black plum, dried fig and spice underpinned by velvety tannins and a long finish.
Located 8km east of St. Emilion, the 36 hectares of vines at Pitray share the same limestone and clay plateau. The vineyards have an average age of 32 years old and are farmed sustainably with a focus on promoting soil health and increasing biodiversity. No herbicides are used. The vineyards are divided into plots of different varieties, soil types and microclimates. A celebration of the estate's best parcels of Merlot, 'Pitray' is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.
The selected parcels are harvested and fermented separately in thermo-regulated concrete tanks for four weeks before blending. The majority of the Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend is then aged for 12 months in stainless steel to retain the pure fruit expression, the remaining 33% is aged in new oak barriques to bring additional structure to the finished wine. The new oak barriques are racked every six months, before being blended together with the wine in stainless steel. The characters produced by the differnet vessels result in a complex and expresssive wine.
Château de Pitray has belonged to the Simard de Pitray family for over 600 years, making it the oldest family-owned property in Bordeaux. Although classified as Côtes de Castillon, the Château is located just eight kilometres east of Saint-Emilion and shares the same clay-limestone plateau. Jean is the 25th generation of the family to run this historic estate, which boasts 130 hectares of vineyards, forests and meadows. His mission has been to produce accessible, sustainably grown wines that are worthy of his ancestry and historic surroundings.