Wine Advisor
Sansonnet 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Sansonnet is a blend of 85% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon matured in 80% new oak. It has a very intense, quite floral bouquet with an exotic touch that fortunately is nicely contained. The palate is medium-bodied with that Cabernet imparting a little rigidity to the tannin and a touch of graphite, but with very fine structure and focus, plenty of freshness on the finish. This may well surpass the 2016.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Sansonnet (composed of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a little youthfully mute, revealing suggestions of crushed black plums, baked cherries and blackberries with nuances of fallen leaves, black olives, lavender and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with energy, giving mouth-coating red and black fruits with a firm, grainy frame, finishing long and lively.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
An exotic, heady wine, the 2016 Sansonnet is a total stunner. Crème de cassis, lavender, bittersweet chocolate, menthol, licorice, graphite and sweet spice saturate the palate in an explosive, stunningly beautiful Saint-Émilion that balances concentration and vibrancy with impeccable class. Put simply, the 2016 Sansonnet is a total pleasure bomb. Don't miss it. Tasted three times.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 Sansonnet is a flat-out stunner. Vivid, rich and beautifully delineated from the very first taste, the 2016 manages to remain translucent and light on its feet despite its considerable richness. Graphite, lavender, plum, violet and sweet spices give the wine its captivating, exotic bouquet. Sansonnet has long been produced in a heavily extracted style. The 2016 is the first vintage made with gentle extractions, which allows the fruit and aromatics to come through with striking purity. This wine is dazzling - it's as simple as that. Jean-Philippe Fort is the consultant. Tasted two times.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Sansonnet has a pure bouquet of small dark cherries, fig and blueberry, beautifully defined and seamlessly integrated with the new oak. The medium-bodied palate is smooth and sensual, offering supple tannin and layers of slightly toasted black fruit, plus a bit of white pepper toward the persistent finish. This should mature with panache in bottle. 14.5% alcohol
About the Producer
Chateau Sansonnet is located in the northeast of the medieval town of Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, France. The same high-quality soil as a winery. The winery has only one plot of land, with an area of 7 hectares, surrounding the winery. Château Sansault dates back at least to the 19th century, when it was the property of the Duke of Decazes, Prime Minister of King Louis XVIII of France. Today, the old castle has been restored and decorated in the elegant style typical of the castle of Saint-Emilion. In 2009, Marie-Benedicte Lefevere took over the management of Sansault. Although Lefèvre has a doctorate in pharmacy, her main interest is wine. As a child, she was exposed to the family's wine cellars in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, and from then on, winemaking became her lifelong pursuit. She has great ambitions for winemaking and has a deep love for her own winery. In order to improve Sansso Winery to a veritable top winery status, she is determined and tireless. For a long time, the winery's grape planting ratio was 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, but now the winery is gradually increasing the proportion of Cabernet Franc. In pursuit of the highest quality, the winery is working on a steady transformation of the vineyards, the transformation focuses on the mixing of different grape varieties on the same land, which includes controlling the height of the vines and changing and growing according to the vines to carefully adjust the work of the vineyard. In addition to the renovation of the vineyard, Sanso Winery is also currently improving and updating the winery building and winemaking equipment. Not only have the barrel room and wine cellar been completely renovated, but also small cones have been added. stainless steel tanks and two grape sorting tables. These are very beneficial to the fermentation and brewing work of the grapes. In addition, the winery's cellar for wine maturation is also equipped with air conditioning. The winemaking method of Sanso Winery fully combines the characteristics of the vineyard itself. After the grapes are harvested, a part of the grapes are taken for pre-fermentation and frozen maceration. This process takes 6 days and the temperature is strictly maintained at 5 °C. The track-type automatic lower pressure fermentation tank owned by the winery makes the fermentation process of the grapes more complete. After this, hot dip is carried out. The wine is then aged for 12 to 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels, which includes a malolactic fermentation process. This original winemaking method was designed by the winemaker Jean-Philippe Fort, who came from the team of the famous winemaker Michel Roland.
