Couvent Des Jacobins 2016 St Emilion Grand Cru Classé

Description

Couvent des Jacobins 2016 is a St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, awarded by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO ) in 1969. This prestigious status, consistently renewed since, reflects the estate’s unwavering quality and its historic terroir.

Couvent des Jacobins, A Historic Saint-Emilion Winery

Couvent des Jacobins is located in Rue Guadet in the heart of St Emilion in an old convent, the oldest parts of which date back to 1389. The convent was established at one of the highest points of St Emilion by Dominican Friars who were bequeathed the land. The Friars produced wine at the site for almost four centuries until the brotherhood was dissolved just before the French Revolution. The estate was confiscated during the French Revolution and then sold as a national estate (“bien national”).

Since 1790 and the early 20th century, there were only two owners of the property: the Guadet and Vauthier families. The estate was purchased by Jean Jean in 1902 and remains in the same family. Today, the estate is managed by Xavier Jean, the great-great-grandson of Jean Jean, assisted by estate manager Denis Pomarede. Organic certification was obtained from ECOCERT in September 2020.

Couvent des Jacobins Vineyards

The vineyard covers some 10.7 hectares and is planted with three grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and, since 2010, Petit Verdot (first used in the 2014 vintage. There are four different terroirs: the limestone plateau (right in front of Couvent des Jacobins); sandy-clay (mostly clay below 45 centimetres) with a fairly high share of limestone nodules (‘molasses du fronsadais’); sandy-clay (Southwest hill of Saint-Émilion); and clay and limestone (Northeast plateau, bordering the Asteries Plateau at the entrance of Saint-Émilion).

Winemaking Process at Château Couvent des Jacobins

• Grapes are harvested by hand and placed into small containers called “cagettes”.
• The grapes are sorted twice: once in the vineyard and again after the bunches have been destemmed.
• Grapes are transferred to vats using gravity to preserve the integrity of the berries.
• Vinification takes place in concrete vats, except for Petit Verdot, which is vinified separately in oak vats.
• After vinification, the wine is moved into oak barrels, again using gravity.
• Around 50 to 55% of the barrels are new.
• The wine ages in the cellars for 12 to 15 months before blending, resting, and bottling.
• The best barrels are selected for the grand vin, Couvent des Jacobins.
• The remaining wine is used for the second wine, called Menut des Jacobins.

The Wine Blend

The blend for the grande vin is normally 75% to 85% Merlot, 15% to 25% Cabernet Franc and, since 2014, 2.5 to 7% Petit Verdot. Annual production is between 2,000 and 3,000 cases per vintage.

Couvent des Jacobins 2016

The 2016 vintage is a blend of 82% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. The wine is aged in 55% new oak and 45%  in second-fill barrels for 12 months. French oaks from the forests of Allier, Tronçais and Bertranges, with a light fining.