Domaine du Vieux Manoir

France

A top-notch French producer representing one of Bordeaux's most renowned appellations

Another important appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux is Lalande de Pomerol, a cousin to its more famous neighbor Pomerol (home of Château Petrus, arguably the most famous wine in the world). Lying just north of Pomerol, it is considered a real emerging top caliber appellation by wine critics.

Many property owners have invested heavily in Lalande de Pomerol‘s estates with excellent initial results. The property that comprises Domaine du Vieux Manoir is tiny, just over an acre and a half. It is planted mostly to Merlot (most of Lalande de Pomerol and Pomerol is also Merlot) and ideally suited to the sandy soils of its location. The wines of Domaine du Vieux Manoir are incredibly rich and fruity and pair well with practically any beef selections.

Each and every wine selected for our six different Wine Clubs meets our strict guidelines for quality and rating criteria. Each wine is handcrafted by an authentic, small-production boutique winery with a compelling story to tell like the one above. Since our first Gold Wine Club shipment in 1992, we have added five more impressive Wine Clubs to choose from—each a showcase for highly-rated, sought-after wines you can enjoy as a Gold Medal, wine of the month club member.

---

Andre Giraud - Winemaker

Andre Giraud is something of a rarity in Bordeaux due to the fact that he is the owner and also winemaker for two wineries featured in this International Wine Club feature: Château La Tour du Pin Figeac and Domaine du Vieux Manoir. He also works the vineyards along with a small staff that includes members of his family.

He points to the rewards of his craft, notably the ability to discover new and exciting things when making wines and also the opportunity to travel to meet his customers and share with them the joys of winemaking and wine tasting. His wines are a combination of elegance, flexibility and finesse along with a true respect for what the French term, “the fruit of the barrel.” Andre Giraud also has expressed the fact that his wines are the product of a fragmented culture that truthfully respect the ecosystem that produces them.

---

The Flag of France and the Bordeaux Cote of Arms

The French national flag is called ‘The Tricolor,’ which in French is ‘Drapeau Tricolore,’ and consists of three vertical stripes. The tricolor was created in July 1789 during the French Revolution from a rosette by Marquis de Lafayette. The combination of red and blue (colors of Paris) and the royal color white (symbolizing the return of the King) were chosen, and thus became the cockade for the revolution. The tricolor was established as France’s national flag in 1794.

The Bordeaux Coat of Arms depicts the French fleur-de-lys, which represents French royalty. The leopard recalls when Bordeaux was the capital of the Duchy of Guyenne. The castle shows the towers of the former city hall, from which only the Grosse Cloche (Big Bell) was preserved. This bell was rung to announce the beginning of grape harvest. The water symbolizes the river Garonne, and the moon crescent stands for the curve made by this river inside the town.