Grande Maison

Wines produced • Bergerac Sec Cuvée Orientale • Bergerac Sec Tête de Cuvée • Monbazillac Cuvée Mademoiselle • Monbazillac Cuvée Monsieur • Monbazillac Cuvée Monsieur Sauvignon • Monbazillac Cuvée Madame   Region Southwest France U.S. Distributors Massachusetts:  Classic Wine Imports New York/New Jersey:   Noble House Wines Illinois:   Fine Vines     Monbazillac is an attractive village on the Dordogne River near Bergerac that produces late harvest, sweet wines using the same grape varieties and methods as the more prestigious and expensive Sauternes and Barsac. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle are grown on clay and limestone soils which results in wines with great aromatics and intense, complex fruit characters. Monbazillac has been producing such sweet wines for over 900 years and reached its peak of popularity in the 16th and 17th century. However, like many European wine growing regions, Monbazillac was very slow to recover from the late 19th century debacle of phyloxera which decimated the vineyard. Thierry Despres, owner of Grande Maison, is one of the passionate young winemakers now committed to the production of first class wines in Monbazillac and the restoration of the good name of the appellation. Thierry owns 20 hectares of south facing vineyards with siliceous clay soils loaded with small stones. His vineyards are densely planted with 5,000 vines per hectare and range in age from 14 to over 90 years of age. Thierry follows the principles of biodynamism and his vineyards are totally organic using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. His grapes are all picked by hand and, like the 1er cru Sauternes estates, Thierry picks his grapes individually or in clusters in numerous tries or pickings to ensure maximum ripeness and concentration of fruit and botrytis. Thierry's sweet wines (except for the Mademoiselle) are aged in new barrels between 18 and 24 months. They are gently hand-bottled using gravity and SO2 is used as little as possible. Thierry makes three levels of sweet Monbazillac based on richness, concentration and levels of sugar. The Cuvée Mademoiselle is bright and clean with the emphasis on fresh pineapple-citrus fruit and creamy vanilla toast. The Cuvée Monsieur is richer, more concentrated and explosive with layers of pineapple, quince, lemon and crême brulée. The Cuvée Monsieur Sauvignon is new in the 2000 vintage and made exactly in the same style as the Monsieur except from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The Cuvée Madame is made from low yield, 90-year-old vines and quite limited in supply. The Cuvée Madame is decadently rich and complex with golden yellow color, intense peach, apricot and nectarine flavors and an incredibly long finish. The Monsieur and Madame Cuvées are easily at the level of the best 1er cru of Sauternes and Barsac. They represent phenomenal value for this style of sweet wine. Some older vintages are available and 750ml, 500ml and 375ml sizes are all produced. These wines make a fabulous aperitif and match up exceedingly well with foie gras, spicy foods, blue cheeses and fruit based deserts. Thierry also makes two dry white wines under the Bergerac Sec appellation. The Cuvée Orientale is a Sauvignon-Semillon blend partly barrel and partly tank fermented. The Tête de Cuvée is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and aged in new barrels. These wines are unusually lively, rich and full-bodied for the appellation. They are indicative of what a truly inspired winemaker can accomplish in this less well known region.

Home | Wine Portfolio | Philosophy | Company | Contact Us |