Bordeaux Newcomer Château Page is a Project to Watch

Patrick Honnef and Gerald Lecomte were neighbors before they were business partners. Patrick worked in the wine business while Gerald Lecomte came from the world of finance, and they would frequently spend time together, enjoying sports and drinking wine.

In 2011, they had hatched a plan to purchase a small vineyard and start their own winery. Chateau Page (which is a combination of the first two letters of their first names) is their cooperative project — and if you like suave, balanced Bordeaux, it’s a project to watch.

Patrick, who is German by birth, isn’t new to Bordeaux. He worked as technical director of Chateau d’Aiguilhe for 10 years. He also lives a good portion of the year in the ancient winemaking country of Georgia, where he oversees the viticulture at Chateau Mukhrani (whose wines I know and respect).

During a week of visiting winemakers in Bordeaux, I had the pleasure of meeting with Patrick and Gerald and tasting their wines. I had never heard of this very small producer before, but the wines showed a level of class and quality well beyond their humble beginnings.

The winery is located in the Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux appellation, which rises up from the banks of the Dordogne River and shares similar qualities to nearby Saint-Emilion. Patrick and Gerald’s vines (only about four acres) are located on a plateau with clay and limestone soils.

When they purchased the vineyard, it was in a sorry state, due to years of generous doses of herbicides and pesticides. Immediately, Patrick kicked off a transition to organic farming. While not common in Bordeaux, Castillon has a higher percentage (about 25%) of organic estates than most other appellations in Bordeaux. He says he saw change almost immediately. “The vines came back to life,” he said.

Their flagship wine is a blend of about 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. In certain vintages they also produce a Page Noir, which is about 90% Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted a few vintages of each wine, and really grew to appreciate their style. More old school in their earliest vintages, the wines had more pronounced dusty-earthy elements. While the wines seem even fresher and more refined in the 2016 vintage (which has quickly become one of my favorite recent Bordeaux vintages).

My notes on the wines I tasted are below. 

Patrick (left) and Gerald (right) of Chateau Page. Credit: Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux

2012 Château Page - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Dark and saucy aromas, tangy black currants and cherries, with lots of earthy, smoky, peppery elements. Shows tannic guts on the palate, and there’s a lot of concentration in the blackberry and raspberry fruit, but the acidity is fresh. Notes of anise, graphite, smoke, this has an old school feel to it, like it needs a while to come around. The non-fruit elements are going to evolve into something beautiful, but there’s also enough delicious fruit to age as well. (91 points)

2013 Château Page - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Saucy fruit, dark and plummy with violets, coffee, loamy earth. On the palate, this is dark and juicy with velvety tannins, more approachable than the 2012, moderate acidity keeps it lively, but this is a dark and juicy wine with a forward but fresh appeal. (89 points)

2014 Château Page - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
So pretty, wow, lots of violets, floral perfume, anise, pepper, on top of pure, juicy cherries. Great balance on the palate, medium-velvety tannins meet vibrant acidity. Tangy red plums and red and black cherries mix well with lots of earthy, soy, violets, and underlying notes of minerals and graphite. Elegant, complex, a very expressive 2014. (91 points)

2015 Château Page - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Gorgeous dark fruits on the nose (all kinds of fruit), pure and juicy, with soy, leaves, pencil lead. Such intrepid balance on the palate with great tannic grip and vibrant acidity. Plums, blackberry and cassis, laced with lots of violets, loamy earth, pencil lead and charcoal. Long time ahead for this wine. Really impressive stuff. (93 points)

2016 Château Page - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
The nose is gorgeous, waves of dark fruit, with lots of soy, pencil lead, leaves, coffee. Beautiful balance between tannic grip and vibrant acidity on the palate. Plum, blackberry and cassis fruit, complex and crunchy with violets, loamy earth notes. Complex forest floor, anise, cedar. Great concentration, but also balance. Another beautiful 2016, but this was is really special. (93 points)

2012 Château Page Page Noir - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Deep currants on the nose with lots of tobacco, pepper, leather. Serious grip to the tannins (this is a powerful and young wine) with medium/low acidity. Dark currant and tart plum skin flavors. I love the gravelly, earthy, tobacco notes. Still quite tight, but this is quite lovely and should do great things over the next five to ten years. (91 points)

2015 Château Page Page Noir - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Beautiful core of blackberry and cassis on the nose, with mint, pepper, leather. Pure and fresh, built on solid tannic group but the acidity is fresh as well, and the wine has an effortless feel at this young age. Blackberry and currant, smooth but tangy fruits, laced with complex earth, cocoa, pepper, anise. The depth and balance are delightful. (93 points)