Château Villemaurine 2020

A silky and aromatic Classified Great Growth from Saint-Émilion

The estate

The first traces of Villemaurine date back to the Moorish era, when it was named “Ville Maure” (or "Moorish City"). Since 2005, Château Villemaurine has belonged to the Onclin family. Led by the passionate and talented Justin Onclin, Château Villemaurine produces iconic wines from the appellation, high-quality wines from an extraordinary terroir.

The vineyard

Superbly located in the heart of the village of Saint-Émilion, the Château Villemaurine vineyard covers 7 hectares of vines. The vines, aged by 35 years on average, are planted in clay-limestone soils upon the famous limestone subsoil of the appellation.

The vintage

2020, as promised, was an excellent year for the winegrower. The early bud break was incited by a mild and rainy winter, followed by a wet spring. Vine development was quick, with flowering in June and ripening from early July. The summer heat, combined with lower than average yields, led to rapid ripening as well as a high concentration of berries. Despite the high temperatures, the clay-limestone soils provided sufficient water reserves, thus preserving the acidity of the fruits and giving them a nice freshness. Hot but not scorching, this vintage was marked by a beautiful tasting balance. The harvests, which began a week in advance compared to previous vintages, allowed for the harvest of perfectly healthy berries and which, despite the low yields, were of uniform quality.

The winemaking and ageing

Manual harvesting in crates, vibrating double sorting table, manual and mechanical sorting, gravity-fed vatting. Through short macerations as well as precise and perfectly controlled extractions, the musts gain aromatic power and structure very quickly. Post-fermentation maceration so as to shape the body of the wine. Malolactic fermentations carried out in barrels, much like the ageing (80% in new barrels, 20% in barrels of one previous wine.)

Blend

Château Villemaurine 2020 is made of a blend of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%).

Tasting

This deeply coloured Château Villemaurine 2020 seduces with its intense, dark fruit aromas, its complexity and its freshness. Silky and balanced, this wine with a silky touch reveals a beautiful roundness and a perfect balance. The distinctive minerality of the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion gives this 2020 vintage great elegance and a delicious salinity.