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The Wine Society's Generation Series Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2020
Wine characteristics
- Red Wine
- Full-bodied
- Merlot
- 75cl
- Now to 2031
- 14.5% Alcohol
- oak used but not v. noticeable
- Cork, diam
More on the wine
We’ve been shipping the wines of Château de Pitray for over four decades, and we have bought every consecutive vintage for more than twenty years. Vineyards are located in the Castillon region (or Castillon-la-Bataille to give it its full title) which, as the name suggests, was the scene of a battle during the 100 Years War in 1453. The composition of its soils resembles that of neighbouring Saint-Emilion, and the best wines (Pitray included) are made very much in the same mould.
Owner Jean de Boigne is the 23rd generation of the family to run the estate, which has been in the family for over 600 years. He presides over a fairytale style château which dominates the surrounding landscape.
The Generation Castillon is a bespoke wine from the excellent 2020 vintage. The blend, which we put together in the autumn of 2021, is made up of 65% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 5% malbec, a variety that is increasingly widely planted in the region.
All the merlot element of the wine was aged in French oak barrels, 5% of which were new, with the balance one-year-old barrels. Both cabernet franc and malbec were aged in stainless steel tanks. The wine represents fine value for money and the château is a beacon of consistency, producing appealing merlot-based wines with a strong sense of place.
Key to the success of Pitray, in addition to its fine terroir, is the impressive age of the vineyards. The merlot vines were planted between 1970 and 1974, the cabernet franc between 1964 and 1985, and the malbec in 1985.
The Times
Read moreNab this majestic, merlot-led claret from the rising right-bank star Castillon, part of the Society’s Generation range, before everyone else does. From Château de Pitray, now run by the 23rd generation of ...