The owner and winemaker of a Grand Cru Classé estate in St. Emilion is an accomplished French woman. We caught up for lunch and a wine tasting on her New York visit.
Winemaker: Anabelle Cruse Bardinot
Women have long been involved in the wine trade in Bordeaux, most importantly as the proprietors of wineries. Women are also increasingly seen as winemakers in France just as they are here and in other wine producing countries. Far more unusual is seeing a woman as both owner and winemaker. So while the rest of world was watching Segolene Royal in her presidential run a couple of weeks ago, I was focused on another very accomplished French woman, Anabelle Cruse Bardinot.
Ms. Bardinot owns Chateau Corbin, an estate dating back to the 15 th century. The property was acquired by Ms. Bardinot’s great-grandparents in 1924, and has descended through a female line to Ms. Bardinot. In 1999 she and her two sisters bought out the shares of some other family members and in 2006 Ms. Bardinot and her husband, Sebastien Bardinot, became the sole owners. On her paternal side, the Cruse family has been involved in the Bordeaux wine trade for seven generations. Her husband comes from a family of Bordeaux negociants, and he works in that business.
She studied winemaking at the Oenological Institute of the University of Bordeaux, and interned in both France and in California before taking control of winemaking and viticulture at Chateau Corbin and making her first vintage in 1999. She took one break from the world of wine along the way and fulfilled a dream by working with Mother Theresa in India for six months.
I caught up with Ms. Bardinot recently in New York where we had lunch and tasted Chateau Corbin vintages ranging from 1999 through 2004 (all in current release) as well as barrel samples of the 2005 and 2006 vintages. Overall, her wines displayed classic Bordeaux qualities of balance, finesse and sophistication. Certain years showed more concentration than others, some more freshness and fruit, others more austere. It is well known by now that 2005 was a remarkable year for Bordeaux, and Ms. Bardinot’s 2005 vintage is a knockout. Even though it still must mature, you could tell this is an excellent wine with great depth and complexity.
Ms. Bardinot is fortunate in having the correct terroir, 32 acres of prime vineyards in the commune of St. Emilion. Chateau Corbin is planted with 80 percent merlot and 20 percent cabernet franc (sometimes called bouchet in France), the dominant grapes of St. Emilion and nearby Pomerol. St. Emilion, unlike other French wine areas, has its own system of classification. The highest ranking is Premier Cru, Class A, and is held by only two estates, one the famed Chateau Cheval Blanc, which is quite close to Chateau Corbin. Chateau Corbin itself is considered a Grand Cru Classé. (While such rankings are a rough guide to quality, I find they are not that useful for the consumer since they do not take into account value for the money.)
Ms. Bardinot not only had to renovate the ancient, derelict chateau, but she was faced with rebuilding three cellars, updating aging cultivation and winery equipment, and improving vineyard management. Then there was the ultimate matter of making better and better wine. “When you are a woman in this business it is not easy. You have to prove everything,” she told me. It is now clear she is doing just that. Her confidence in her own style seems to be increasing, and you can sense the seriousness when you sample all nine vintages. It is quite an achievement for a winemaker barely 40 years old.
If Chateau Corbin is not yet up the level of some of its illustrious neighbors, it might be a good thing for the consumer. It is still a very good wine, and at about $25 per bottle it sells for considerably less than many of the big Bordeaux names that Americans love. This is a label to remember. The future looks bright for Chateau Corbin and the hardworking woman behind it.
