2018 | Château Corbin | Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Evident coffee toasting suggesting well-handled oak, this has poise and definition, with slate and ripe blueberry notes, clear tannic hold and a fresh, sappy finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Corbin has been aged for approximately 18 months in oak barrels, 50% new. It has 15% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with bold notions of blueberry coulis, baked black plums and blackberry pie, plus suggestions of incense, ground cloves, violets and camphor. The rich, full-bodied palate is ready for business, featuring bags of black fruit preserves and a velvety texture, finishing with plenty of freshness and a spicy kick.

• James Suckling: This is firm and linear, showing a solid core of fruit and a rich palate with a bit of alcohol showing. It’s full-bodied with lots of fruit and intensity. Creamy, ripe tannins. Slightly hot finish, but stays together.

Producer Information

Château Corbin is a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé estate four kilometers (2.5 miles) northwest of Saint-Emilion town. The estate has been in the Cruse family since 1924 and has been a Grand Cru Classé since the initial classification in 1955. It is currently overseen by Annabelle Cruse-Bardinet – the fourth generation of Cruses at the property. Château Corbin's vineyards cover 13 hectares (32 acres) close to appellation border with Pomerol – the likes of Pétrus and La Conseillante lie only two kilometers (1.2 miles) to the west. Saint-Emilion's iconic Château Cheval-Blanc is a similar distance southwest. The vineyards are predominantly planted to Merlot (80 percent) with the remainder given over to its classic appellation stablemate, Cabernet Franc. The vineyard straddles two broad soil types: sandy gravels surrounding the cha^teau on top of iron-rich red clays; with deeper clays towards the Pomerol end of the estate. The estate produces three wines: the Château Corbin grand vin and the second wines, Divin de Corbin and XX de Corbin. Unusually for the appellation, the second wines are not labelled Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (as is want to occur with Grand Cru Classé properties), with Cruse-Bardinet opting instead to release them under the broader Saint-Emilion title. The wines are fermented in concrete vats before being aged in French oak barriques for around 18 months in the case of the grand vin. The second wines are generally released a year after harvest. The estate is one of the oldest in the appellation although the original, and sizeable, Corbin holding is now considerably fragmented – as evidenced by the likes of Château Corbin Michotte, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Grand Corbin Manuel – all neighbors. The Cruse name is well known in Bordeaux circles and Annabelle's cousin, Emmanuel Cruse, heads up the Margaux third grown Château d'Issan estate in the Médoc.

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.