Château Castelot Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 1995

Château Castelot Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 1995: An elegant classic from the heart of Saint-Émilion

The Château Castelot Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 1995 is a wine from one of the appellation’s most traditional family estates and a fine example of the elegance and structure that Saint-Émilion can produce in a good vintage. The estate, a nine-hectare holding in the heart of Saint-Émilion, was acquired in 1978 by Jean-François Janoueix and forms part of Vignobles Joseph Janoueix, one of the oldest wine-growing families in the Libournais region.

The location of Château Castelot is remarkable: it lies behind the hill of Château Tertre Daugay (now Château Quintus) and benefits from a special microclimate, as it is sheltered from the north winds by this hill. This sheltered location enables the grapes to reach optimum ripeness quickly. The soils are rich in silica, gravel and iron, and the vineyard is planted with 70 per cent Merlot, 20 per cent Cabernet Franc and 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaking follows the appellation’s classic style: the grapes are harvested by hand, vinification takes place in concrete tanks, and ageing is carried out 60 per cent in new barriques and 40 per cent in barrels that have already aged one or more wines. Average annual production is around 37,000 to 50,000 bottles.

The 1995 vintage in Bordeaux was characterised by a warm, dry summer, which led to good ripening of the grapes. After more than two decades of bottle ageing, the Château Castelot 1995 displays a dark, purplish-red colour. The bouquet is remarkably refined, oscillating between notes of wood and black fruits. On the palate, it reveals a fresh attack, characterised by beautifully matured and perfectly balanced tannins. The aromas of black fruits are supported by a refined structure that lends the wine length and complexity.

The wine world describes Château Castelot as “lively on the palate, with rounded tannins and a wonderfully long finish – a wine fit for a king”. The wine has received multiple accolades from renowned oenologists and tasters such as Michel Rolland and Stéphane Toutoundji of Gault & Millau.

The existence of the 1995 vintage is well documented: 24 bottles were offered in a lot at Christie’s, and at Tate Ward, a lot of twelve bottles fetched a price of £179 in 2020. It is recommended that the wine be cellared for around twenty years to enjoy it at its very best. For lovers of mature Bordeaux wines, the 1995 Château Castelot offers a rare opportunity to experience a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from one of the appellation’s most consistent winemaking families – a wine that embodies the understated elegance of a classic vintage.