Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel St. Emilion Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel St. Emilion with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel History, Overview

As you can probably guess from the name, Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel was once part of the original Grand Corbin estate. Interestingly, Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel was created in 1855, the same year as the original classification, when the land was separated from the Grand Corbin vineyards.

The first owner was the Bechade family. At the time of the estate’s creation, it was known as La Grande Metairie, which was a play on words as it can be loosely translated into a large, smallholding. Eventually, the name changed to Chateau Grand Corbin.

Like many Right Bank estates, the property was sold and resold. In 1965, the estate was purchased by Pierre Manuel, who renamed the estate Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel. In 2005, the property once again changed hands when it was sold to the current owner, Stephane de Gaye.

The de Gaye family continues to manage Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel today. The de Gaye family owns and manages two other Bordeaux vineyards, La Creation in Pomerol and Saint-Barbe, Bordeaux Superieur.

Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 7-hectare vineyard of Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel is planted to 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are old, with an average age of 35 to 40 years. The terroir is sand and clay soils. The vines are planted to a density of 6,600 vines per hectare.

To produce the wine of Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel, vinification takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats that range in size from 62 to 72 hectoliters. The wine is aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for 12 to 18 months, depending on the vintage.

The best vintages of Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2009 and 2005.

On average, the production is 3,500 cases per vintage. There is a second wine, Clos de la Grande Metairie. The name for the second wine is an homage to the original name for the property when it was first created, La Grande Metairie.

When to Drink Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel is better with at least 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage.

Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel is best enjoyed in the first 4-14 years of life. Young vintages can be decanted for about 1 hour to 90 minutes. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Serving Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Grand Corbin Manuel is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.

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