Joseph-Hubert von Neipperg bought Clos de l’Oratoire, Château La Mondotte, and Château Canon la Gaffelière in 1971. However, it wasn’t until his son, Stefan von Neipperg arrived in Saint-Émilion in 1985 that the quality of the wines began to improve dramatically, beginning with Canon la Gaffelière.
In 1995, at the renamed 4.45ha La Mondotte von Neipperg—convinced that the limestone/clay terroir could produce great wine—began dramatically reducing yields. Together with the little-known winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt, he began making small quantities of what has become one of Bordeaux's most sought after wines. These days they have cut back on the 100% new oak and this certified organic 80% Merlot / 20% Cabernet Franc wine made from 60-year-old vines has never been better.
St.-Émilion is the star of Bordeaux’s Right Bank, north of the Dordogne River. The rich red wines produced in St.-Émilion, based on Merlot and Cabernet Franc, are less tannic and generally more fruit-driven in flavour than the Cabernet-based wines of Left Bank. Merlot thrives on the plateaus high above the Dordogne, where the soil is filled with sand and clay, a perfect medium for creating opulent, fruit-forward wines. With a typically savoury character, St.-Émilion wines are sometimes called the “Burgundies of Bordeaux.” These refined reds, with loads of finesse, are elegant companions to beef, chicken, pork and duck.
The wines of St.-Émilion were not included in the famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux, which ranked wines of the Left Bank. In 1955, St.-Émilion published its own classification, based on soil analysis, wine quality and reputation of the properties. Unlike the 1855 classification, St.-Emilion’s system requires properties to continuously prove themselves. The list is revised regularly, most recently in 2012. There are two tiers within the classification, Premier Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru Classé. There are currently just 18 Premier Grand Cru properties and 64 Grand Cru Classé properties.
The St.-Émilion appellation is home to hundreds of individual producers, enhancing the variety of wines made there. Many of the properties remain small, family-run enterprises, unlike the large châteaux of the Left Bank. The area is also the base of France’s controversial micro-châteaux or garagiste wine movement; these innovative winemakers operate outside the traditional classification system, making very high quality (and very expensive) highly extracted wines.
