Château de la Vieille Tour (Vignobles Boissonneau) Village: St. Michel de Lapujade Appellation: 32ha Entre Deux Mers Growers: Christian Boissonneau Philippe Boissonneau Website: https://boissonneau.fr/ Downloadable PDF This property is situated outside the village of St. Michel de Lapujade which lies at the southern extreme of the Entre Deux Mers region. Lapujade translates as the hillside and the vineyard is a bucolic setting of rolling hills with soils of chalky clay and boulbenes (an old and fragile decarbonized chalky clay). The Boissonneau family has owned the property since 1839. Since 2007 the vineyard has been farmed organically and the domaine is in transition to being certified organic in 2011. Bordeaux Superieur The red wine is a blend of 40% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc. It undergoes a long fermentation during which the juice is regularly pumped over the cap. A period of extended maceration follows with the exact amount of time depending on the vintage. The wine remains in tank for 12 to 18 months receiving three rackings and is fined and filtered before bottling. Bordeaux Blanc The white wine is made from a blend of 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Gris, 35% Semillon and 10% Muscadelle. The sauvignons and muscadelle undergo a maceration pelliculaire or contact with the skins. The different varieties are vinified separately and all fermentations are done in stainless steel vats at cool temperatures. The wines are aged sur lie until blending and bottling. Although the art of blending is typically associated with red Bordeaux, this wine is a lovely example of its value in the production of white Bordeaux.