Château La Connivence 2020

A very fine wine from Pomerol, infinitely sophisticated and made for keeping

The estate

The story of Château La Connivence is, above all, a story of friendship between three wine-loving friends who decided to create a "very good wine". The superb Pomerol appellation became, thus, the birthplace of this connivence which brought the three owners together: Johan Micoud, former international footballer, Matthieu Chalmé, former Girondins de Bordeaux player and Alexandre de Malet Roquefort, owner of Château La Gaffelière in Saint-Émilion.

The vineyard

Home to a vineyard garden, Château La Connivence is a real gem: 1.40 hectares located on a very large Pomerol terroir, iconic grounds for Merlot with the flagship grape variety covering 65% of the grounds at the estate. The château has also chosen to plant Cabernet Franc, which represents 35% of the vineyard. On this gravelly terroir, which combines thick gravel, fine gravel and sandy-clay soils, the 3 friends immediately foresaw that these would be the perfect conditions to produce a very fine red wine from Pomerol. To preserve this precious terroir, the vines are exclusively worked by hand and managed in sustainable agriculture.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage stood out for its earliness. Vine growth was indeed rapid due to the wet and mild spring season, which followed a mild winter. Rainy spells brought about a mildew pressure that was never before experienced by winegrowers. Due to a stormy episode, losses on certain plots were noted. Nevertheless, flowering displayed a beautiful homogeneity thanks to favourable conditions. Harvests took place around 10 days in advance under the intense heat which marked summer 2020.

Winemaking and ageing

After manual harvests, the grapes were sorted by density. Subsequently, plot-based vinification was carried out, with an alcoholic fermentation marked by pour-overs and punch-downs, and malolactic fermentation in vats. The wine aged for 14 to 16 months in new French oak barrels.

Blend

Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%).