Wines of France / Bordeaux / Bordeaux Supérieur / Château de Cugat

​Château de Cugat - Bordeaux Supérieur

Since the 2021 vintage, Château de Cugat has obtained the HVE 3 -  High Environmental Value certification. 
Picture of Gironde map
Blasimon, Gironde
The Château de Cugat was constructed in the 1500's. Located in the small town of Blasimon, it stands upon a hill overlooking the village. The vineyards surround the Château, and are comprised of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc for red wines, and Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle for white wines.
 The domaine is situated in the Entre-Deux-Mers, which is an appellation designated for strictly white wines; the red wines of the region are entitled to the appellation Bordeaux Contrôlée. If their yield is below a certain point and their alcohol level half a degree higher (12.5%), they are entitled to the appellation Bordeaux Supérieur Contrôlée. "Bordeaux Supes" are generally considered a step up from straight Bordeaux.
Picture of Benoit Meyer
Benoit Meyer in front of the Château de Cugat, 2006
In 1926, the property was acquired by the grandmother of winemaker, Benoit Meyer. When Benoit began overseeing the estate in the early nineties, he dreamed of making a wine that would make people think they were drinking something from an area more lofty than the humble Entre-Deux-Mers. After all, part of his vineyard had a mixture of sand and gravel soil, much like parts of nearby Pomerol. And a parcel of the vineyard was between 40 and 50 years old and had wonderful exposition.
Benoit made his first dream wine in 1997. With the help of his enologist, they decided to use solely a parcel of old vine Merlot. They did a green harvest in July, and waited longer than their neighboring Châteaux to pick. They put the perfectly ripe juice in new Seguin Moreau oak. Called Francis Meyer, the cuvée is made with nearly all Merlot and aged in new oak. Malolactic is in barrel and the wine is raised with great attention, like in the top Châteaux of Bordeaux.
Benoit also makes two other excellent wines--Cuvée Premiere and Cuvée Classique—using grapes from other vineyard plots surrounding the Château.
Château de Cugat Cuvée Classique Bordeaux Supérieur
A delicious blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged primarily in tank with a few barrel-lots thrown into the blend, this is a well balanced claret that is perfect for classic bistro fare. By far our biggest selling Bordeaux, this wine seriously overdelivers for its price!
Château de Cugat Bordeaux Supérieur "Cuvée Première"
70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-use barrels of the Francis Meyer. Shows notes of black current, licorice, smoked vanilla and spice. 
Château de Cugat Bordeaux Supérieur "Cuvée Francis Meyer"
90% low-yielding Merlot (30hl/ha), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grown on the clay and chalk soils of the vineyard's oldest parcel of vines. Aged in 100% new Seguin-Moreau and Sylvain oak barrels and bottled without filtration. The nose is rich, round and inviting, while dense blackcurrant, vanilla, spice and smoke notes converge on the supple full-bodied palate. The tannin is silky and well-integrated, the finish long and persuasive.