Chateau Montaiguillon Montagne-Saint-Emilion (2018)

Overlooking the legendary names of Cheval Blanc, L’Evangile and Figeac, on a slight incline, and with the limestone and clay soils that so define Bordeaux’s right bank, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the wines of Château Montaiguillon would come with a considerable price tag. 

Yet, thanks to its position just over the border from St-Emilion, in Montagne St-Emilion (the other side of the border where the terroir is often inferior to Montaiguillon’s sun-baked slope), where they could charge at least three or four times the price.  But aware that the same prices can’t be charged on this side of the border, young incumbent Mathieu Ternault isn’t able to afford to have a team of harvesters for the duration of the harvest.  However, the alternative, a machine-harvester that he hires, is lifting the quality of Montaiguillon to a whole new level.  That’s because the machine that harvests the grapes has an optical sorter on board: the same (incredibly pricey) piece of machinery used by the first growths, and other top estates. This ensures that not one sub-standard berry makes it into the vats.

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