Chateau Petit Village Pomerol Bordeaux Wine

 Chateau Petit Village

Chateau Petit Village Pomerol, Bordeaux wine producer profile, with wine tasting notes, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on wine making and terroir, along with wine tasting reviews. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Petit Village has a long history in the Pomerol appellation that dates back to at least 1785. The wines of Petit Village first began gaining acclaim in 1831, when the estate was owned by the Dufresne family. At one point in time, the estate was owned by the De Seguin family who also owned Chateau Clos Fourtet in St. Emilion.

In 1919, Petit Village once again changed hands when it was sold to the Ginestet family. At the time the Ginestet family were well known Bordeaux wine negociants with other holdings in the Medoc. In fact, just 2 years earlier, they bought Chateau Cos d’Estournel. Following the frost of 1956, the vineyards of Petit Village were replanted. Perhaps, due to their experience in the Left Bank, having owned Chateau Margaux, they planted an excessive amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in their Pomerol vineyards. The amount of Cabernet Sauvignon was over 50%, which was the highest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the entire Right Bank.

When Bruno Prats began to take control of Chateau Petit Village in 1971, one of his earliest decisions was to rip out the Cabernet Sauvignon and replace it with Merlot. His next move was to renovate the cellars in 1977. This led to an increase in the quality of the wine at Chateau Petit Village. The involvement Bruno Prats ceased when he sold Chateau Petit Village to the large, AXA group in 1989. At that point, Jean Michel Cazes, of Lynch Bages, who had a relationship with AXA, due to his work with them at Pichon Baron took over the property. The giant insurance agency, AXA, also owns Pichon Baron Pauillac, as well as Chateau Suduiraut in Sauternes and numerous other wineries in a myriad of countries including Portugal and Hungary.

Currently, Christian Seely looks over Chateau Petit Village and all the other AXA group owned wineries. Under Christian Seely, improvements at Chateau Petit Village have taken place including new vats and a new barrel cellar. He also brought in Stephane Derenoncourt to consult.

Chateau Petit Village wine comes from a single 11 hectare Pomerol, triangular shaped vineyard. The terroir is composed of deep gravel with sand, chalk and clay. That soil sits on top of a bed of red iron. The vineyard is planted to 75% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. Petit Village continues to maintain one of the highest potions of Cabernet Sauvignon plantings in the Pomerol appellation. The oldest parcel of vines at Petit Village is a single plot of Merlot planted in 1947. On average the vines are planted to a density of 5,600 vines per hectare. The vinification takes place in 18 thermo regulated concrete vats for an average of 21 days. The vats range in size from 35 hectoliters up to 80 hectoliters. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. Chateau Petit Village is aged in 70% new, French oak barrels for about 15 months.

Chateau Petit Village has been a medium/full bodied Pomerol, without the ripeness, elegance and concentration the better wines from the region often display. With Stephane Dereoncourt who replaced Michel Rolland in 2005 acting as the consultant, things should turn around for this popular Right Bank wine.

Chateau Petit Village produces close to 2,500 cases of Bordeaux wine per year. There is a second wine, Le Jardin de Petit Village.
  
www.petit-village.com