Château Clos Saint Martin - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru - 2011 | French Red Wine

Established in 1850, this jewel-like estate is situated on Saint-Émilion’s li- mestone plateau, adjacent to Château Canon. Named after the neighboring church of Saint-Martin, Clos St. Martin is owned and managed by Sophie Fourcade, a descendant of the Reiffers family, established wine producers in Saint-Emilion since the 17th century, with Michel Rolland acting as consul- tant winemaker. At just 1.33 hectare, Clos St Martin is the smallest classified growth in SaintÉmilion. The vines, averaging 35 years of age, are planted on clay and li- mestone soils, typical of the appellation’s limestone plateau, with southwes- tern exposure. After the hand-harvest, the grapes undergo an eight-day pre-fermentation cold maceration at 8°C. The must is fermented in new oak barrels for 48 days; malolactic fermentation also takes place in new oak barrels. The first four months of aging are spent on the lees, stirred twice every week, al- lowing the wine to develop volume and body. The wine is generally aged for 20 months in new oak barrels.