{"id":17027,"date":"2020-01-23T12:34:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T17:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/winetrailtraveler.com\/blog\/?p=17027"},"modified":"2020-01-23T12:34:25","modified_gmt":"2020-01-23T17:34:25","slug":"discover-chateau-de-potiron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/winetrailtraveler.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/23\/discover-chateau-de-potiron\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the recent APVSA<\/a> wine tasting in Washington D.C. we had the opportunity to meet C\u00e9lia Caule, winemaker for Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron. The Ch\u00e2teau is located in C\u00f4tes de Bordeaux. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cuv\u00e9e Exceptionnelle 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9lia was enthusiastic about the wines from Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron and while tasting a couple of the Ch\u00e2teau wines we learned more about Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first wine we tasted, Cuv\u00e9e Privilege 2012, was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This is the oldest wine that Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron has to offer and is considered an entry level wine. The wine was a translucent purple color. The aroma was earthy with black fruit notes. The taste included blackberries and black raspberries. The wine had medium tannins. The finish was long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second wine, the Cuv\u00e9e Exceptionnelle 2014, was a high-end wine. This 13.5% alcohol wine was produced by hand. The color was a dark translucent red. The mouthfeel was smooth. The wine was full-bodied with mellow tannins and offered black fruit notes. The finish was long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abo<\/strong><\/em>ut Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9lia said that the Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron has been owned by her parents for 20 years. Joergen Schmidt purchased  Ch\u00e2teau Potiron in 2001. Later his daughter Malene Schmidt became involved with the winery. Malene\u2019s daughter is C\u00e9lia Caule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The property of Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron is located in the C\u00f4tes de Bordeaux region.  Today the Ch\u00e2teau has 20 hectares of vineyards. Red grape varieties include: Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. One hectare includes white grapes of Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the wine tasting in Washington, I emailed C\u00e9lia with several questions. Below are the questions with C\u00e9lia\u2019s answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  What do you enjoy most about winemaking?<\/em>C\u00e9lia Caule: What I enjoy most about winemaking is the harvest season which starts from mid-September til end of October. I love the team work involved during the harvest, having my mother, my father and our head of cultivation Philippe; it is a very convivial atmosphere. It is very exciting to see\/smell all the harvest coming in the cellar and tasting the juices coming from different area of the chateau. 
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2.   How many hectares\/acres of grapes are you growing? Which varieties are you growing? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9lia Caule: We have a total of 20 hectares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are currently growing Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a small part of Cabernet Franc. Last year, we planted 1 hectare of petit Verdot .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. To what do you contribute the success of Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron ?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9lia Caule: It is mostly because it is a family estate and that we are all passionate about wine. We want Chateau de Potiron to succeed because we know the potential there is in our soil, in our product. My grandfather and my parents worked very hard in order to get the chateau where it is and I\u2019m a very proud to participate to the growth of our vineyard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. What types of foods do you like to pair with the wines produced by Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


C\u00e9lia Caule: For the white wine, we love to pair it with fresh seafood like oysters. For the red wines, we like it with cheese, some nice red or white meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. What can visitors to the winery expect when visiting?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9lia Caule: They can expect to have high end rooms as we rent the chateau all year long. We do visits of the vineyard, the cellar and the stock. We do tasting right out of the barrels but also tasting different vintages already in the bottles. And if the people come during the harvest, they can come and help us out if its something they are interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. How will the winery change and grow in the next five years? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nC\u00e9lia Caule: First of all we would love to plant new grape varieties in order to make ros\u00e9 wine or original white wines or even reds. We are also currently trying to get the label HVE3. We really care about our environment so if we can participate in any way we can, we will. We\u2019d love to have more people coming in the chateau to portray our passion for wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. What would you like the public to know about Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9lia Caule: We might not be a part of a known appellation however I think we are worth being recognized and appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Terry and I are looking forward to tasting more of the wines produced by Ch\u00e2teau de Potiron. 
Cheers!
Kathy<\/p>\n