Château Micalet
| Vigneron | Damien and Dominique Fédieu |
| Location | Cussac-Fort-Médoc (Gironde) |
| Size of Domaine | 10 ha |
| Terroir | Atlantic climate. Deep sandy gravels with clay. 20m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Certified organic (Ecocert) |
| View Château Micalet wines ↓ |
Rather than changing everything when taking over from the previous generation, brothers Damien and Dominique are moving forward with the vision of their father. Very much concerned with the well-being of anyone working and living around his vineyards, Dad never used herbicides and kept ploughing his vines with a horse the way he used to in his youth. Organic certification, the logical next step, was obtained in 2009.
Although cabernet and merlot form the majority of the blend, the brothers are big fans of petit verdot and it is due to play a bigger part in the final blend when recent plantings come into production. It is a variety that can produce complex, structured wines when afforded the right level of care and attention and, bearing in mind the recent changes in weather, they think it is now much better suited to the local terroir than merlot which tends to suffer from over-ripeness.
In the cellar the idea is to let the deep sandy gravels shine so fermentation takes place in stainless steel, maceration lasts 20 to 30 days and a third new oak is used for the élevage. The style here is very much old school classic, their wines show all the class and restraint that generated such excitement for the region before the arrival of 1980s and all the gadgets that came with it.
The deep sandy gravels of the Haut-Médoc Château Micalet Wines
HAUT-MÉDOC 2020
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot (13% alc.)
Really good Haut-Médoc from a 7ha organically certified property in Cussac-Fort-Médoc where the 30yo vines are planted in sandy gravelly soil. On the nose the wine is most attractive with a slightly floral element, feeling very close to the grape in style. Extraction and oak ageing have been sensitively judged, the wine offers ripe plum and herbal notes, and is composed and well balanced. Exceptional value for money.