Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Château Petit Val

There is no stopping Petit Val, and particularly David Llorit who, after meeting Jean-Louis and Olivia Alloin in 2014, threw his incredible energy and ambitions wholeheartedly into the project. There was method in his madness though – he boasts a thorough understanding of the terroir and a deep-seated belief in his ability to produce fine wines from the existing 6-hectare vineyard and additional 6 hectares purchased with a view to broadening its scope, sense of place and varietal range.

In 2016, the estate’s first two, much-awaited labels were released: Château Petit Val and Muse du Val, with highly distinctive and deliberately modern livery which broke the mould of appellation conventions. Equal shares of Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown, with a smaller proportion of Petit Verdot in Petit Val’s blend. The prestige Muse du Val label is complex, elegant and lush and benefits from clay-limestone hillside sites with a unique aspect.

A love of grape varieties has led the trio to plant 0.3 hectares of Riesling trained on stakes which will be used to make a Vin de France in 2019, along with a Malbec matured in amphoras which is due to enter the blend in 2018. Château Petit Val has yet more surprises in store. The property’s team is progressing on all fronts and taking every challenge in its stride, nurturing an ecosystem and sustainably farmed vineyard which has heads turning and is aimed for the top.

 Testimonial:

“Stéphane Toutoundji and I share the same vision of wine. Before becoming a wine grower, I was also a consultant winemaker and could easily have chosen to go it alone at Petit Val. But the two of us have some fundamental similarities: people are important to us, as are kindred spirits and a respect for styles and identities. These are all aspects that I wanted to nurture at the property which needs all the expertise it can get. The In a Bottle Club is also a way of showing how dynamic we are within a group of wine growers who love and are familiar with their vineyards and their identities. We travel a lot and can sometimes forget to get back to roots and local support. The Club is there to remind us of that!”

WINE FACT SHEETS:

Château Petit Val

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Sustainably farmed vineyards
Soils: Sandy-clay / clay-limestone hillsides.
Varietal range: 70 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Franc, 5 % Petit Verdot.
Ageing: 12 to 18 months in French oak casks.
Price:  €25 approx. including VAT ex-cellar.

Muse du Val

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Sustainably farmed vineyards
Soils: Clay-limestone hillsides.
Varietal range: 50 % Merlot, 50 % Cabernet Franc.
Ageing: 14 to 18 months in French oak casks.
Price:   €40 approx. including VAT ex-cellar.

Consultant winemaker: Stéphane Toutoundji