Château Corbin

Identity

Château Corbin is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. It is owned by the Cruse Bardinet family, represented by Anabelle Cruse Bardinet and Sébastien Bardinet. Anabelle Cruse Bardinet also oversees the vinification of the estate's wines. The château is located in the commune of Saint-Émilion, in the Gironde department.

History and Philosophy

Château Corbin has belonged to the same family since 1924, with Anabelle Cruse Bardinet representing the fourth generation at the helm of the estate. The property is dedicated to an environmental approach demonstrated through several certifications. In 2015, Château Corbin became a member of the first association for the Environmental Management System of Bordeaux Wine, certified ISO 14001. In 2017, the estate was awarded dual ISO 14001 and Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) Level 3 certification. This commitment translates into the planting of trees and hedgerows to foster biodiversity, as well as sustainable viticulture and ploughing without the use of chemical weedkillers.

Appellations

Château Corbin produces wines under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.

Practical Information

Château Corbin is located at 1720, route des Corbin, 33330 Saint-Émilion. The estate welcomes visitors by prior appointment, including individual tours (€23 per person). Tours are not available in August. The cellar door sales shop is open from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday. The boutique is open daily without appointment. The estate accepts payment by debit/credit card, cash, and cheque. On-site facilities include parking, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. Guided tours in English are available upon request. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)5 57 25 20 30 or by email at contact@chateau-corbin.com.

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The vineyard of Château Corbin covers 13 hectares. It is situated in the north-west of the Saint-Émilion appellation, close to Pomerol. A soil study conducted in 2004 led to the replanting of 35% of the plots. The soils consist of ancient sands over iron-rich clay subsoils surrounding the château, with more clay-dominant areas near Pomerol. Single Guyot pruning is used, yielding 6 to 8 bunches per vine. Planting densities for younger plots range from 6,666 to 8,333 vines per hectare. The average vine age is 30 years, with the vineyard comprising around 75,000 vines. The grape varieties are predominantly Merlot (90%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (10%).

Flagship Cuvées

The estate's grand vin is cuvée Corbin. Harvesting is carried out by hand, plot by plot, in small crates. Three successive sorting stages take place before vinification. The berries are then vinified separately in 18 temperature-controlled concrete vats of 50 hectolitres each, mapped directly to their parcel of origin. Ageing takes place in French oak barrels for 17 to 19 months depending on the vintage, with one or two rackings. Most of the young plots are now incorporated into the blend of the grand vin. The second wine, named DIVIN de Corbin, undergoes shorter ageing and is bottled during the summer following the harvest.

Vinification and Ageing

In 2016, the estate opened a new vat room equipped with 18 small, temperature-controlled concrete vats. Vinification is performed by individual berry parcels following hand-harvesting and meticulous sorting. The wines are aged in French oak barrels. To naturally regulate humidity, the walls of the vat room and barrel cellar are coated with lime. Well water is used for plant protection treatments and landscape irrigation.