Armelle Cruse, is the fourth-generation co-owner of Château du Taillan. She is also vice-president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, Talilan is a family property which was acquired in 1896 by Henri Cruse.

Today women run the show, making it a great winery to highlight for Women’s History Month and this chat about French Women in Wine. Merlot dominates the blends here which all tend to be elegant versions of Crus Bourgeois. The property is a 30-Hectare one with clay-limestone soils. The 30 hectares are planted to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc.

Château du Taillan, is run by Armelle and her four sisters (Marie-Caroline, Violaine, Myriam and Christiane). They are also one of the few estates in the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel list, where they are one of just 14 estates.

The Cru Bourgeois du Médoc classification created in 2010 was most recently modified in 2020. The Chateaux are all located in the eight major appellations in Médoc: Médoc, Haut- Médoc, Listrac- Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc, Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Saint Estèphe.

All the wines are red wines and offer great price/value ratios. The classification lasts for five years from 2020 and includes properties for the 2018, 2019,2020, 2021, and 2022 vintages.

There are three historic categories for these wines: Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, and the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel

The classification is monitored by a verification body and governed by five pillars.

A. A community of tasters who taste blind to assure quality and longevity.

B. Encourage Sustainable business and all the chateaux must obtain Environmental certifications

c.  New criteria for two higher classifications in terms of techniques

d. Traceability and authenticiy checks are done through the use of QR codes

e. Random tasting checks are conducted throughout the five year term,

Some 30 million bottles are sold annually. There are 249 Cru Bourgeois du Médoc, 179 Cru Bourgeois, 56 Cru Bourgeois Supérieurs, and 14 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. The group accounts for 31% of the production of the Médoc and 27.5% of total surface area under production.

The conversation on twitter is at 11:00am ET, March 19, 2022. To follow and/or join, follow the #winophiles hashtag.

Check out what my fellow bloggers had to say:

• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm sips Domaine de Marcoux Lirac La Lorentine to Celebrate Women’s History Month.
• Jeff of Food Wine Click! invites us to Celebrate French Women in Wine: Anne-Sophie Dubois
• Jane of Always Ravenous talks about Women Behind the Wine: Domaine Weinbach, Catherine Faller.
• Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog shares Champagne Louise Brison: A Tradition of Women in Charge.
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles opens Delphine Vesselle and Domaine Jean Vesselle Rosé de Saignée, Brut from Bouzy.
• Deanna of Wineivore discovers A Mathilde Chapoutier Rose for $4?
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass finds Château Larrivet Haut-Brion: A place for women in traditional Bordeaux.
• Nicole of Somm’s Table shares Cotillon Rouge and Rilletes.
• Susannah of Avvinare introduces Arnelle Cruse, A Look at the Cru Bourgeois.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares A Medieval French Peasant Dish and French Winemaker Sisters.
• Terri of Our Good Life writes Here’s to France’s Women in Wine and to Rebecca Rosenberg’s Book Champagne Widow.
• Here on Wine Predator we pair Champalou Fille’s 2020 Vouvray with French Favorites.