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Château Monconseil Gazin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2018

Ch Monconseil Gazin Blaye 2018

Red Wine from France - Bordeaux

10 Reviews

is no longer available

Code: CB5971

Wine characteristics

Red Wine
Medium-bodied
Cabernet Merlot
Drinking now
13% Alcohol
oak used but not v. noticeable
Twin top

Bourg, Blaye, 1er Cotes

The best growers in the less-fashionable regions of the satellite appellations Blaye, Bourg, and the old Premières Côtes have to work that bit harder to get their wines known and the quality is often exceedingly high while the prices remain sensible.

Blaye is the northernmost of these satellites, named after the town of Blaye (pronounced â€˜Blyâ€™), which sits on the varied soils of the right-hand shore of the great Gironde estuary. Merlot dominates and the majority of the wines are soft and easy-drinking, balanced and flavourful, but without the dominance of new oak. The wines are usually ready to drink much sooner than those of neighbouring Bourg.

Côtes de Bourg is a smaller region south of Blaye, where the Dordogne joins the Garonne to become the Gironde. The soils here are more homogenously clay with limestone and the wines, though still generally merlot dominated, are more robust with delectable tannins, and they benefit from a little more time in bottle as a result. They can...

The best growers in the less-fashionable regions of the satellite appellations Blaye, Bourg, and the old Premières Côtes have to work that bit harder to get their wines known and the quality is often exceedingly high while the prices remain sensible.

Blaye is the northernmost of these satellites, named after the town of Blaye (pronounced â€˜Blyâ€™), which sits on the varied soils of the right-hand shore of the great Gironde estuary. Merlot dominates and the majority of the wines are soft and easy-drinking, balanced and flavourful, but without the dominance of new oak. The wines are usually ready to drink much sooner than those of neighbouring Bourg.

Côtes de Bourg is a smaller region south of Blaye, where the Dordogne joins the Garonne to become the Gironde. The soils here are more homogenously clay with limestone and the wines, though still generally merlot dominated, are more robust with delectable tannins, and they benefit from a little more time in bottle as a result. They can develop extremely well with short to mid-term cellaring.

Before the draining of the marshes of the Médoc in the 17th century it was these areas that provided a good deal of the wine exported to Britain.

Castillon adjoins Saint-Emilion to the east along the Dordogne and inland to the north. It is developing a good reputation for its wines and several prestigious producers from neighbouring appellations have invested a good deal to make wine here and too very good effect alongside a number of excellent locals such as Château de Pitray. Merlot again dominates on a mixture of soils from clay to sand and gravel, though cabernet sauvignon is also has a presence.

A wider umbrella appellation controlee called simply Côtes de Bordeaux identifies special terroirs, which includes Blaye and Castillon with one or two others on the banks of the two rivers Garonne and Dordogne. The vast majority of production is red, made mostly from merlot, and there are many excellent producers here, such as Denis Dubourdieu.

The legend goes that the name ‘monconseil’ came about after Charlemagne held a council (mon conseil) in this area in the ninth century. The château itself wasn’t built until around 1500, and it was bought by the Baudet family in 1894. Since then, five generations of the family have put their heart and soul into tending the 18 hectares of vines at this château in the Cotes de Blaye, a region which borders Bourg at the northernmost part of Bordeaux’s right bank.

Throughout the 20th century, the estate evolved as each generation made its mark, most notably in the 1950s when it also acquired six hectares of vineyards in Gazin, prompting the château’s name change to Monconseil-Gazin. The family then purchased 18 hectares at Château Ricaud in 1962, as well as Château La Petite Roque in the 1980s, meaning their total vineyard area now comprises 44 hectares.

The 24ha at Monconseil-Gazin lie on gentle, south-facing slopes that get plenty of sunshine in the dry summers, but the vines are kept hydrated thanks to well-draining, clay-limestone soils which encourage the roots to dig deep for moisture. The estate is dedicated mostly to red grapes, with 60% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 10% malbec, and a small amount of cabernet franc, but it also has two hectares of sauvignon blanc and semillon.

The current generation of the family is Jean-Michel Baudet and his wife Francoise. Jean-Michel is as passionate about wine as his forefathers, and was even part of the group responsible for the...

The legend goes that the name ‘monconseil’ came about after Charlemagne held a council (mon conseil) in this area in the ninth century. The château itself wasn’t built until around 1500, and it was bought by the Baudet family in 1894. Since then, five generations of the family have put their heart and soul into tending the 18 hectares of vines at this château in the Cotes de Blaye, a region which borders Bourg at the northernmost part of Bordeaux’s right bank.

Throughout the 20th century, the estate evolved as each generation made its mark, most notably in the 1950s when it also acquired six hectares of vineyards in Gazin, prompting the château’s name change to Monconseil-Gazin. The family then purchased 18 hectares at Château Ricaud in 1962, as well as Château La Petite Roque in the 1980s, meaning their total vineyard area now comprises 44 hectares.

The 24ha at Monconseil-Gazin lie on gentle, south-facing slopes that get plenty of sunshine in the dry summers, but the vines are kept hydrated thanks to well-draining, clay-limestone soils which encourage the roots to dig deep for moisture. The estate is dedicated mostly to red grapes, with 60% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 10% malbec, and a small amount of cabernet franc, but it also has two hectares of sauvignon blanc and semillon.

The current generation of the family is Jean-Michel Baudet and his wife Francoise. Jean-Michel is as passionate about wine as his forefathers, and was even part of the group responsible for the creation of Blaye AOC. The team campaigned for years, finally achieving its aim in 2000, and Jean-Michel was until recently president of Blaye AC. It was in this same year that the château first began pursuing sustainable vineyard practices. The estate has now been Terra Vitis accredited and Jean-Michel has assumed the presidency of Terra Vitis Bordeaux. The estate practises firmly controlled sustainable viticulture and has a lower sulphite allowance than even organic production.

The winery is subject to strict quality control. Grapes are sorted manually prior to fermentation; after which, the wine spends between 12 to 18 months in French oak barrels. Great care is taken to ensure the oak influence is balanced with the wine’s other characters, resulting in a smooth, fresh wine that remains a brilliant example of the Blaye appellation for which this family campaigned so tirelessly.

This is an exceptionally good vintage for Bordeaux, with the best reds probably eclipsing those of any vintage in recent memory.

In our visits to Bordeaux in early April 2019 we tasted some of the finest clarets we have ever tasted en primeur. The wines are intense, powerful and most have excellent ageing potential. Colours are deep, alcohol levels are between half a degree and a full degree higher than recent averages, and tannins are ripe. Yet the best wines have maintained freshness, energy and most importantly balance.

And it's not just the top wines that shone in 2018; many super wines were made at the more affordable end of the price spectrum, and this offer includes plenty of examples.
But whilst all the top communes and appellations made a number of truly remarkable wines, 2018 is not a universally fabulous vintage. It is much less consistent than 2016, 2010 and 2009, and considerable care was needed in selecting the wines we wanted to offer our members.

The keys to making...

This is an exceptionally good vintage for Bordeaux, with the best reds probably eclipsing those of any vintage in recent memory.

In our visits to Bordeaux in early April 2019 we tasted some of the finest clarets we have ever tasted en primeur. The wines are intense, powerful and most have excellent ageing potential. Colours are deep, alcohol levels are between half a degree and a full degree higher than recent averages, and tannins are ripe. Yet the best wines have maintained freshness, energy and most importantly balance.

And it's not just the top wines that shone in 2018; many super wines were made at the more affordable end of the price spectrum, and this offer includes plenty of examples.
But whilst all the top communes and appellations made a number of truly remarkable wines, 2018 is not a universally fabulous vintage. It is much less consistent than 2016, 2010 and 2009, and considerable care was needed in selecting the wines we wanted to offer our members.

The keys to making excellent wines in 2018 were firstly choosing the right time to harvest, and secondly ensuring gentle handling of the grapes during the winemaking process. Picking too early meant good acidity in the wines but a lack of phenolic ripeness, whereas harvesting too late led to over-alcoholic wines lacking freshness. The grapes at harvest were tiny in 2018, and the skins were packed with tannin. Only the gentlest of extractions was necessary in the winery.

In addition to the many red wines there were many excellent dry whites, which despite the heat and dryness of the vintage also maintained admirable freshness.

2018 was another vintage of extremes. One of the wettest early seasons on record was followed by one of the driest and sunniest summers. The mild, damp spring encouraged a widespread and aggressive mildew attack. This had a devastating effect on some châteauxâ€™s yields, with those producers employing organic and biodynamic practices particularly badly affected. Hail also struck in parts of the southern Médoc, Sauternes and the Côtes de Bourg.
But then the clouds parted and the sun shoneâ€¦ and shone. Between the beginning of July and the harvest there was 25% more sun than the 30-year average, and rainfall was tiny â€“ just 46mm fell throughout the entire summer at Château Margaux. The harvest was very long and unhurried, with growers able to decide exactly when each plot of vines should be picked.

In conclusion, it was possible in 2018 to make superlative wines, as long as you were vigilant in the vineyards during the growing season, when choosing the optimum harvest date, and then in managing the vinifications in the cellar. Not everyone got these three vital elements right, and so careful selection has been key for us.

The modern face of Bordeaux, your friends will feel completely at ease when they're handed a glass of this fruit-forward, velvety smooth claret. Merlot dominant, there's cabernet sauvignon and malbec in...

The modern face of Bordeaux, your friends will feel completely at ease when they're handed a glass of this fruit-forward, velvety smooth claret. Merlot dominant, there's cabernet sauvignon and malbec in the mix to plump up the fleshy palate. A top drop with oven-roasted tomato tart and mixed salad.

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Sam Wylie Harris

Wednesday 1st Sep 2021

Manchester Evening News

A ripe, fleshy merlot-dominated Bordeaux with just a touch of savoury toast on the nose. Well-integrated tannins give the palate a velvety texture while there's freshness on the finish. An excellent wine...

A ripe, fleshy merlot-dominated Bordeaux with just a touch of savoury toast on the nose. Well-integrated tannins give the palate a velvety texture while there's freshness on the finish. An excellent wine for a lazy Sunday lunch.

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Andy Cronshaw

Friday 20th Aug 2021

Shropshire Star

This great value, generous and velvety modern red from a lesser-known appellation is two-thirds merlot, a proportion of cabernet sauvignon and a splash of malbec for added richness. Bright, fruit-forward...

This great value, generous and velvety modern red from a lesser-known appellation is two-thirds merlot, a proportion of cabernet sauvignon and a splash of malbec for added richness. Bright, fruit-forward and approachable in its youth, it offers flavours of plum, red cherry and bakig spices that pair perfectly with a takeaway pizza. -

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Sharon Waters

Saturday 17th Jul 2021

The Press Association

The modern face of Bordeaux, your friends will feel completely at ease when they're handed a glass of this fruit-forward, velvety smooth claret. Merlot dominant, there's cabernet sauvignon and...

The modern face of Bordeaux, your friends will feel completely at ease when they're handed a glass of this fruit-forward, velvety smooth claret. Merlot dominant, there's cabernet sauvignon and malbec in the mix to plump up the fleshy palate. A top drop with oven-roasted tomato tart and mixed salad. -

Read more

Sam Wylie Harris

Sunday 18th Jul 2021