From terroir neighbouring legendary estates Château Cheval Blanc and Château Figeac—and with the legendary Michel Rolland in charge of the winemaking—it’s no surprise that the 2018 Château Pierre 1er Saint-Émilion Grand Cru earned a 93-point score.
Anyone who loves powerfully modern Bordeaux or Napa’s plush reds will fall for this gorgeous, classic Right Bank awash with bold black fruit, spice-box and dark-chocolate accents, and delicious density.
Château Pierre 1er has long been one of the sleeping giants on the Right Bank.
Located on the same limestone-heavy plateau as Châteaux Cheval Blanc and Figeac, the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru has always boasted the raw materials to make outstanding wine.
And in 2018—a year Wine Advocate called the “sun-kissed cousin” of the legendary 2016 vintage, and “a vintage of pure pleasure”—the Rolland-led château delivered.
Big time. Its 93-point rating from James Suckling was the highest ever for the estate in the years to 2018.
In 2015 at Château Pierre 1er, Rolland achieved incredible clarity and depth of flavour using the some of the same meticulous vineyard protocols he employs when crafting skyscrapers at Château Pavie, L’Évangile, Troplong Mondot, Harlan Estate, Bond, and Bryant Family.
In a spectacular vintage like 2018, there could only be one result: superb concentration and quality, and a striking expression of terroir.
On the old village of Saint-Emilion, on the edge of the Pomerol appellation area, Château Pierre 1er aligns 11 hectares of vineyards in one piece.
The Château is a family property since 1984.
First, the Chateau faces south on the privileged land of “brown sands on graves”.
Then the vineyard, with the large number of feet per hectare and an average age of 34 years, generates a high quality of wine at early maturity.
Most of all, the grape varieties are 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
Last but not least, the harvesting is manual and is done in crates and great care is brought to the vineyard, thanks to a careful selection of vintages.
The malolactic fermentation takes place in new barrels for 50% of the harvest. Then, the aging is done in new barrels and barrels of 1 year old. The duration of the breeding varies according to the batches, from 12 to 16 months with temporary aging on lees.
The hand-harvested grapes are sorted both before and after de-stemming, and the 80% Merlot/20% Cabernet Franc blend ferments in temperature-controlled tanks before slumbering over a year in a mix of new and once-used barrels. It’s a recipe that puts the “Grand” in Grand Cru.
The historic Château Croix Figeac became Chateau Pierre 1er in 2014.
Indeed it is a tribute to the owner’s father Pierre Dutruilh.
Only the name and the label have changed.
Thanks to the family meticulous work, the wine has gained in quality and fame. This is one just a gem.
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pierre 1er gives expressive blackberries, black cherries and warm plums scents with touches of cloves, mocha and sautéed herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, fine-grained texture and appealing freshness with a savory finish.”
16/20 Bettaneset Dessauves
