I love Bordeaux houses with illustrious histories. Many might not know that Chateau de Sales has the largest vineyard holdings in Pomerol. Even more remarkable is that Chateau de Sales has been in the same family ownership since 1464.The actual chateau was created in the early 1600’s, which was usual for Pomerol at the time. The winery has a 48 hectare vineyard which was planted to 73% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. I’ll most certainly look forward to a visit to this historic house later this year.
The family history here is remarkable and big changes began in the 1980s. From 1982 to 2017 Bruno de Lambert led Chateau de Sales, taking over for his father, Henri, who had managed for nearly 40 years. In 2017, when their uncle and father retired, the 14 direct cousins and co-owners of Château de Sales rallied round to take over the estate, with their parents’ approval. They appointed one of their own, Marine Treppoz, to chair the new company. At the same time, they recruited a Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Montigaud, to manage it. Originally from Libourne, he spent 23 years with Baron Philippe de Rothschild, including 16 years as managing director of Domaine de Baronarques.
Last year I was very impressed with a magnum from the 2006 vintage that I enjoyed from my personal collection. The wine was quite youthful and was a glorious wine from a challenging vintage. The new 2018 Chateau de Sales (OB, 92) has some awesome aging potential and really shouldn’t be touched for a few years. This will show off a great core of dark fruits alongside the classic Pomerol earthy tones. Learn more about this storied house at https://www.chateau-de-sales.com Here is my review of the 2018 Chateau de Sales.
2018 Chateau de Sales Pomerol- The 2018 Chateau de Sales is a gorgeous effort from this vintage. A blend of 69% Merlot with the remainder near equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, right away the wet stony tones entice aromatically, with dark currants and cedar tones also rounding out the nose. The palate is fresh and vibrant with great acidity. Layers of rich dark fruits mingle with graphite, tobacco leaf and coffee ground flavors. This has really good lift and length, as it is best enjoyed after another two to three years of bottle age. Drink 2024-2040- 92