I’ve been a bit lax with my posts of late, but assure you that the blog is alive and well. My most recent absence is due to a long walk on the Camino de Santiago. I had gone on this pilgrimage twice before, once in Spain and again in Portugal, but thought it was high time to experience the French portion, which I went on in September, starting out in Le-Puy-en-Velay and ending in the town of Conques in the Aveyron department .
The French camino goes through some of the most rural and isolated parts of the country such as the Aubrac region. This means that pilgrims generally opt for half board at dormitories since there is nowhere else to eat nearby. The cusine in that part of France is hearty and filling, as typified by aligot, a dish made from mashed potatoes blended with butter, cream, crushed garlic, and melted cheese. You definitely need some wine to wash this down and, more importantly, digest it. Unfortunately, everywhere I went served mediocre or even bad wine. This meant that one of the first things I did when I got home was to open a bottle of good Bordeaux!
There is a part of my cellar where bottles that are ready to go are stood up and easy to access. 2018 Château l’Hêtre caught my eye and I wasted no time in opening and decanting it. I might add that I pretty systematically decant Bordeaux, as much to separate the wine from its sediment as to aerate it.
Along with Fronsac, Castillon offers some of the most underestimated good-value wines in Bordeaux. Geologically, it is pretty much an extension of Saint-Emilion – the frontier had to be drawn somewhere! The AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux has 1,850 hectares of vines. Prices tend to be very reasonable and the wines are enjoyable young. What’s not to like?
The Thienpont family of Belgium has deep roots in Bordeaux, with branches owning vineyards in various parts of the Right Bank or making wine at other prestigious estates there. The story of Château l’Hêtre dates back to the last decade, when Jacques Thienpont and his sister, Anne Raeymaeker decided to buy Château Goubau from another Belgian family. There were 10 hectares of vines at the time, which have since increased with the purchase of the adjoining Château Montagne.
There is a story behind the name L’Hêtre. The Thienpont family also own the famous “Le Pin” (meaning “the pine tree”) in Pomerol and the up-and-coming “L’If” (meaning “the yew tree”) in Saint-Emilion. Continuing the arboreal theme, Le Hêtre is French for “beech tree”. It is spelled “L’Hêtre” to be a play on words since “être” is the verb “to be”. Furthermore, the second wine is called “La Raison d’Hêtre”.
The first vintage of L’Hêtre made by the Thienpont family was in 2016. Jacques’ nephew Maxime is in charge of production. The wine consists of 95% Merlot.
So, what of the 2018? At age 6 it featured a dark purplish-red color and a plummy nose of ripe Merlot. The flavor was rich and generous, fruity and ready to go with enough of an aftertaste to make this a serious wine. Enjoyed with a simple meal, it was a wonderful welcome back home and a worthwhile reacquaintance with the wines of Castillon. I’m willing to bet that we will be hearing more about L’Hêtre in years to come.