Château Penin
Château Penin
Bordeaux, France
Etienne and Antoine, sixth-generation winemakers, are deeply committed to passing on living soils, old vines, and preserved landscapes to the next generation.
This family business was founded in 1855 by Louis Carteyron and his son Jacques. In 2022, Antoine and his brother Etienne became the sixth generation to run the estate, which has grown to 50 ha. The winery is based in Entre-deux-Mers, an region whose name is derived from its location between the two tidal rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne. The production and management of the estate is carried out within the framework of a reasoned and multi-performance agroecology recognized by the HVE (High Environmental Value) quality criterion, where biodiversity in the vineyards and on the estate are of the utmost importance.
"We believe in a kind of winemaking that is rooted in authenticity, not prestige. A craft driven by committed winegrowers who are not bound by dogma, but guided by intuition and respect for their land. Vignerons who seek to express their terroir, their convictions—without ever forgetting that wine is, above all, about sharing. We take our craft seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously. That’s the spirit of winemaking we proudly stand for. Our goal is to craft characterful wines that embody our values of conviviality and immediate pleasure—wines that reflect both balance and the unique identity of our clay-limestone and gravel soils.
AVAILABLE WINES
Address: Couponne, 33420 Génissac
Website: https://chateaupenin.com/en/
Château Penin
Château Penin
Les Cailloux
This family business was founded in 1855 by Louis Carteyron and his son Jacques. In 2022, Antoine and his brother Etienne became the sixth generation to run the estate, which has grown to 50 sustainably farmed hectares. This Merlot comes from 40 year old vines planted on large rounded pebbles 50cm in depth, originating from Quaternary glacial deposits, over a slab of clay. The geological profile of this 2ha plot is atypical for the region. Cold pre-fermentation maceration for 2 days was followed by a fermentation over 25 days in tanks, with gentle extraction through low pressure pump overs. This was then racked in December for 12 months of ageing in 400L French oak barrels (Allier and Vosges). The wine was then further aged for 18 months in concrete tanks before bottling.
Dusky black plum, wild blackberry, cassis jam is threaded with crushed stones and thorns, and gripped with long, finely textured tannins through a stony finish. Nice freshness in this structured, serious merlot, drinking now and with time ahead.
"Aromas of ripe blackberries, toasted walnuts, sweet spices and pine cones. Medium-bodied and round-textured with sleek, polished tannins. Attractive, toasty finish. Merlot. Drink or hold.” - 90 points, James Suckling
Read more about Château Penin here.
Vintage: 2020
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Bottles per Case: 6
Price per Bottle: $41
Style: Still
Region: Bordeaux
Appellation: AOC Bordeaux Supérieur
Country: France
Grape: Merlot
Colour: Red
Vegan: Yes
Organic: No
Biodynamic: No
Natural: No
Low Intervention: Yes