Chateau Civrac introduces Element 2009

Element is a single varietal Merlot made from the 2009 Chateau Civrac harvest in Côtes de Bourg, Bordeaux.  It is a light and very fruity wine with a light oak finish.  Element is only 12% with an RRP of £7.99.

Chateau Civrac is the dream venture of Mark and Sarah Hellyar from Cornwall in the UK. Their vision was to create modern Boutique wines in Bordeaux's right bank that combined the qualities of traditional Bordeaux with the spirit and approachability of the New World.

Chateau Civrac is part of a growing younger movement in Bordeaux that wants to challenge the ‘straightjacket’ of protocols and traditions long associated with this region by introducing modern winemaking styles and adapting to how people consume wine today:  Wines with softer tannins, that are more fruit driven, have clearer labelling of varietal information and that can be enjoyed younger.  But this is not an attempt to make new world wines in the old world.  The great USP that wines from Bordeaux have is that they come from small producers, each having its own character and a sense of where it has been made. 

Mark Hellyar bought Chateau Civrac in 2005 after a successful career in IT. Without a background in wine and little knowledge of how to make it, he assembled a team including Olivier Dauga (his consultant) to firstly find the right location and then to transform the neglected 18th century property into a Boutique wine producer.

1 January 2011 - Felicity Murray