More than anywhere else, here wine blends into the heritage. It is not vital to human alimentation but seems essential as nourishment for his spirit and contributes certainly to the nobleness of his soul.
In Montravel, the landscapes show their secret like an open book where the vine rows would become lines. Vine stocks make up the alphabet with which generations of winemakers try to write the story of this terroir, their story.
Philosopher winemakers in the country of Montaigne
This story shows the print of the pioneer humanist movement that is to say Michel Eyquem de Montaigne. Born in 1533 in the Château of Saint-Michel de Montaigne, at the heart of the Montravel appellation, he wrote the biggest philosophical chef d’oeuvre of the XVIth up to the present day, Les Essais.
His definition of humanism:
« Society was made to serve humans and not the other way around »
He had a spartan way of life isolating in the famous Tour, on the Château’s ramparts, to devote himself to the essentials that are meditation and writing.
Of course, with a glass of wine that seems to improve his inspiration:
Going back to the drink. The appellation has a very wide range of wines: dry white, soft and sweet, and of course the excellent Montravel red! (see “7 things to know”)
Now the Montravel winemakers is stronger than ever with their new talents and continue to express their wine heritage.
- Localisation
The furthest west appellation, at the limit between Dordogne and Gironde
- The motto graved in the top of Montravel bottles
In monte revelationem: While climbing, the revelation appears…
- A subsoil treasure
In the hills’ meanders, we can find limestone soil, a real treasure for the great wines (same subsoils as the best vintages of Saint-Emilion, 20kms away).
The criteria keep up with the expectations of the appellation pioneers. With this amazing subsoil, the adequacy is perfect with the Merlot, early grape variety which is leader in the blending (completed by Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and sometimes Malbec). The plantation density needs to be minimum 5,000 vines, criteria that permits to encourage the competition between vine stocks and so a deep rooting, in order to draw the limestone soils’ treasures (minerals, trace element…).
Profile of these wines: character, deep notes of blackcurrant, spices and blond tobacco.With a large leading of Sauvignon, associated to Sémillon and Muscadelle, the specific terroir of Montravel produces “pleasure” dry whites with fruit notes (citrus, fruits with white flesh) and dry whites more complex ageing in barrels.
Their unicity? Without a doubt it is their freshness and the inimitable mineral signature of Montravel!Those sweet wines are mostly produced from Semillon grape varieties. Their typicity? A soft suavity with delicate aromas: floral (rose, honeysuckle) and fruits with white flesh (pear, peach).
Soft wines with sugar and aromas: 100% seducing!A soft wine produced thanks to botrytized grapes (the famous noble rot) harvested in successive selections, on the best lands of the appellation (and central part of Montravel delimited for the production of Montravel red).
Results: In glass, bronze notes for a firework of candied aromas according with slightly spicy notes (cinnamon, vanilla, ginger…).
