Château Arbo 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of Château Arbo 2022

Tasting

Color
This Montagne-Saint-Emilion shows a dense purple-violet robe, echoed by a deep ruby hue that reflects its youthful concentration and structure.

Nose
This Montagne-Saint-Emilion opens on a refined and subtle bouquet, revealing notes of blackberries, cherries, and peppery mint. Once aerated, it unfolds further into crushed wild strawberry, very ripe morello cherry, black plum, cassis, and raspberry, layered with sweet spices such as pepper, cumin, licorice, and nutmeg. Toasted hazelnut, toasted wood, and coffee notes accompany dried herbs and an expressive floral bouquet of rose, violet, and peony, with a touch of dark chocolate.

Palate
On the palate, this Montagne-Saint-Emilion offers real body, carried by a fresh structure with fine, well-integrated tannins, leading to a juicy and fruity finish. It reveals density and solidity, supported by firm yet fine, powdery tannins, with flavors of cherry, plum, blackberry, cassis, and tart strawberry, joined by wild mint, pine needle, smoky and toasted nuances, and spices. The finish is long, tight, and tannic, marked by pleasant bitterness and a salivating acidity.

Food and wine pairings
No official pairing is specified by the estate for this cuvée. Given its structure, ripe dark fruit, and fine but firm tannins, this Montagne-Saint-Emilion pairs naturally with red meats, roasted lamb, and grilled poultry, as well as with semi-hard and hard cheeses.

Serving and cellaring
The estate recommends decanting Château Arbo 2022 before serving, allowing its aromas to open fully. It is best served at a temperature of around 61–64°F (16–18°C). This wine can already be enjoyed in its youth after decanting, and it holds the potential to age gracefully until 2038.

A Montagne-Saint-Emilion Wine Built on Structure and Freshness

The Estate
Château Arbo is a family-run estate in Montagne-Saint-Emilion, on Bordeaux's right bank, founded in 2015 by Astrid and Dorian Arbo. The couple, who met at the local viticultural school, acquired a vineyard in need of restoration and rebuilt it into a small, quality-driven property. Today, Astrid and Dorian Arbo personally oversee every stage of production, from the vines to the cellar and sales. Their estate is recognized for its Haute Valeur Environnementale certification and its committed, sustainable approach to viticulture.

The Vineyard
The vineyard extends over 6.5 hectares within the Montagne-Saint-Emilion appellation, planted across twelve parcels whose vines date from 1950 to 2021. This diversity of plantings gives the estate both depth from older vines and vitality from younger ones. The plots benefit from favorable sun exposure on limestone-based slopes, with soils divided between clay-limestone, clay-sand, and clay-silt. Farming follows a Haute Valeur Environnementale approach, avoiding CMR products, anti-botrytis treatments, and insecticides, while limiting mowing between rows to encourage biodiversity.

Winemaking and aging
Château Arbo 2022 is aged for 12 months in barrels, with an equal share of new oak and once-used barrels. This oak influence remains discreet, contributing a gentle woody touch and a supple structure without masking the wine's character.

Grape Varieties
This Montagne-Saint-Emilion is crafted from a blend of 85 % merlot and 15 % cabernet franc, a combination that reflects the estate's consistent style across recent vintages.