Chateau Haut Garrigue Merlot 2007

A dark red wine with strong notes of plum and blackberry and a smooth mocha finish. Enjoy with pasta, red meat or dark poultry. Wine Critic's Comments: "A strong aromatic impression, intense colour and a spicy, perfumed nose. A powerful wine offering black fruit aromas' Guide Hachette 2009 (the merlot was selected and starred).

Chateau Haut Garrigue has been a wine estate for centuries. The date etched above the cellar and original buildings is 1737 and some walls date to 700 AD. The name, Garrigue, can be found on medieval maps of the area and refers to the herbal mix (lavender, thyme, fennel, rosemary) that naturally thrives here. We continue to nurture this wild earth with organic farming practices. Garrigue's vineyards follow the contours of the beautiful Dordogne valley - the cradle of European civilisation.

But it's not only our farm that is historic. Our families were both involved in the wine business generations ago: Seán's grandfather owned and farmed a vineyard while he was growing up. Caroline's grandmother was a French descended from the Galway Frenchs. This is one of the 14 merchant families of Galway alongside illustrious names of Lynch and Kirwan - both famous wine geese. The French tribe moved from Normandy in France to Galway to import wine in the 1300s. Frenchs are noted as significant wine negociants in Bordeaux and Dublin in the golden era of the 1700s/ 1800s.

 In 2005 we decided to follow our roots and left our city jobs to pursue the dream of producing fine wines from small high-quality individual parcels. Chateau Haut Garrigue offers excellent terroir, the right mix of grape varietals (merlot and cabernet sauvignon for our wonderful rich reds and rosé, sémillon and sauvignon blanc for our delicious whites) and old vines. We grasped the opportunity to follow our dream. A bientot!

Seán & Caroline Feely

 

See the Nationwide program on Chateau Haut Garrigue's 2009 harvest

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1111/nationwide.html