The new cellar at Corbin since July 2016
I met the present owner, Anabelle Cruse Bardinet, for the first time in May 1996 at Chateau Grand Corbin. According to my appointment, I waited there and drove with Anabelle to Chateau Certan Giraud, owned like Corbin by Domaines Giraud.
Anabelle had just arrived at Certan Giraud after completing enology studies at Wine University in Talence (Michel Rolland's class), working at several wineries worldwide, and helping the famous Mother Theresa for one year. At Certan Giraud, she took care of the vineyard and promoted things while her nephew Emmanuel made wine.
The Giraud family acquired Corbin in 1924. In 1999, her uncle, Philippe Giraud, listed Corbin for sale, and Anabelle allied her with her two sisters, and the trio bought the property.
In 2007 she became the sole owner. She finished replanting the vineyard and modernizing the chateau and cellars. In July 2016, she presented a new vinification cellar with stainless steel vat.
Corbin is situated in Corbin's hamlet (lieu-dit), approximately 2 km west of Catusseau in Pomerol. The nearest neighbors to Corbin are Grand Corbin Despagne, Corbin Michotte, and Grand Corbin. There are 13 ha of vines planted, with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc; vines are, on average, 30 years old. Soil is a mix of sand on a clay and iron clay layer.
Anabelle Cruse Bardinet makes very stylish wine at Corbin, a true St. Emilion one, a finesse-driven wine with pure elegance, subtlety, and precision. Never overblown, never over-extracted, and never overpowered with tannin. Since 2006, she has worked with oenologist Jean-Philippe Fort, who is associated with Michel Rolland. This cooperation pushed Corbin higher up in quality. It's worth mentioning that Corbin is reasonably priced, too!
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2023 Corbin (barrel sample) 96p
Tasted in April 2024. 90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. 13.4% alcohol. This is a subtle and captivating wine with pure finesse and elegance, great balance, and a velvety texture. It has a broad palette of aromas, especially violets and iris. The perfect acidity, vibrancy, and "invisible" tannin make this wine an utterly seductive "catch." As impressive as 2022!
2022 Corbin (barrel sample) 96p
I tasted it twice, the last time in April 2024. Consistent notes. 100% of the harvest went into Grand Vin. It is 90% Merlot + 10% C. Franc. 14% alcohol. It has a captivating fragrance of roses and violets, creamy cherries, fine tannins, and a velvety texture. It has a great midpalate and is strikingly elegant, with finesse and a sophisticated touch. It is a very sensual wine and the owner’s best vintage yet.
2021 Corbin 93-94p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2024. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% C. Franc. 13% alcohol. Anabelle Cruse Bardinet used so-called densimetric sorting in 2021, which allowed only grapes with the desired sugar level to pass the selection process. Aromatic redcurrants, roses, and violets. A hint of cocoa and freshly prepared coffee. Fresh, sweet berries, grained tannin, and velvety texture on the palate. Discreet acidity. It is an elegant package with finesse and a sophisticated touch. Impressive for the vintage.
2020 Corbin 96p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2024. Consistent notes. 95% Merlot + 5% Cabernet Franc. 14% alcohol. Vinification took place in new oak, vats, and jars/wine globes. For the first time, Corbin's owner, Anabelle Cruse, didn't use an external consulting oenologist in this vintage. It was sublime, with a distinct nose of fragrant raspberries, licorice, pure elegance, finesse, and high-quality grained tannin. The focus and precision in this wine were just genuinely remarkable. Imho, 2020 is the best vintage yet for the present owner.
2019 Corbin 96p
I tasted it three times, the last time in April 2022. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. It has a distinctive and classy nose of sweet black cherries and blueberries, with dazzling elegance and finesse. It is vibrant, has many layers, and is sophisticated, complex, silky, and velvety. It's such a riveting and stylish effort!
2018 Corbin 95+p
Tasted four times - last time in April 2022. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. It was a fleshy and corpulent wine with more concentration than usual for this property, with a seductive nose of dark berries, elegance and sublimeness, splendid complexity, and a long aftertaste. It is labeled with 15% alcohol, but these percent have seemed absorbed by creamy fruit! Among the best vintages, Anabelle Cruse Bardinet has produced. As impressive from the bottle as from the barrel!
2017 Corbin - no wine was produced due to the whole vineyard being hit by frost in April 2017.
2016 Corbin 94+p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2019. Consistent notes. A new cellar with vats for each parcel was ready for the 2016 harvest, allowing more precise and individual vinification in that vintage. This wine had great aromas of violets and blueberries, was very subtle and distinguished, had great complexity and balance, and had excellent precision, elegance, and finesse. Outstanding effort.
2015 Corbin 93-94p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2019. Not consistent notes. Grand Vin represents 90% of the whole production. It was potent and concentrated, with silky fruit and tannin, aromatic and well-balanced, distinguished and complex. Terrific effort for the vintage.
2014 Corbin 92p
Tasted three times - last time in March 2017. It impressed with seductive sweetness and elegance, finesse, and splendid acidity. It was a fresh and well-defined wine. Precise winemaking.
2013 Corbin 89p
Tasted twice - last time in November 2021. Consistent notes. Anabelle Cruse Bardinet was satisfied with her 2013 but said making this vintage wasn't for the faint-hearted. This wine had a fruity nose of cherries and raspberries, freshness, some minerality, silky tannin, good balance, and a soft finish. It was a fine effort for the vintage. It was in April 2014. In November 2021, this wine showed rapid development in maturity and was ready to drink.
2012 Corbin 90-91p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2015. Consistent notes. This wine seduces the audience with violets, black fruit, elegance, well-integrated tannins, and a silky finish. It's light-footed but a fine effort for the vintage.
2011 Corbin 91p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2015. Consistent notes. Deeper and more concentrated than in 2012, longer on the palate. Tannin was slightly coarse here, but it will integrate with fruit later.
2010 Corbin 93p
Tasted three times - last time in March 2014. Consistent notes. It had a deep aromatic nose of black fruit, fatty and velvety tannin, a very long and concentrated palate with fatness, and a very long finish. It has great class and style, and this wine fully mirrors its owner's personality.
2009 Corbin 92-93p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. Great aroma of chocolate, sweet fruit, superb balance, and velvety tannins, all dressed up with great elegance, finesse, and sophisticated touch. Heartbreaker wine.
2008 Corbin 90-91p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2012. Consistent notes. It displayed a powerful aroma of black cherries, lovely concentration, superb balance, and was well-structured. Smooth aftertaste.
2007 Corbin 87p
Tasted in October 2009. Attractive on the nose, round with ripe (!) fruit, well-balanced with good concentration and depth. It was delightful wine, but I didn't think it would be long-lived
2006 Corbin 87p
Tasted in October 2009. Similar to 2007, it is slightly more concentrated and has a slightly longer finish.
2005 Corbin 93p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2013. Consistent notes. This wine was an excellent thrill to taste. Very aromatic black cherries and blackberries/blueberries, very complex, fat and ripe tannin, powerful and full of finesse at the same time. It was an imposing effort indeed.
2004 Corbin 87p
I tasted it in October 2009. It was spicy and aromatic on the nose, and the wine was elegant and had good concentration and length.
2003 Corbin 88p
Tasted in October 2009. The nose had slightly cooked fruit, but the wine was just fine. Elegant stuff with a bite and round aftertaste.
2002 Corbin 86p
Tasted in October 2009. It did not have perfectly ripe fruit but had lovely intensity, depth, and length.
2001 Corbin 87p
Tasted in October 2009. The lovely intensity of raspberries and cherries, pretty wine, elegant, charming, and round.
2000 Corbin 88-89p
I tasted it in October 2009. It was very intense on the nose, with tasty black fruit, meaty with a lovely balance, and a smooth aftertaste.
1998 Corbin 85p
Tasted five times - last time in April 2011. Consistent notes. Relatively light, soft, round, and charming. Past its prime.
1979 Corbin 90p
Tasted in September 2021. For a 42-year-old wine, it was a very decent performance. Very much alive, one with silky fruit and tannin, tasty raspberry fruit, juicy and well-balanced. Soft and lingering aftertaste.
1964 Corbin 94p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2022. It was an exquisite wine with great finesse and style. Delicate with great complexity and silky fruit/tannin. A true delicacy to taste! This was in October 2020. In April 2022, I had an even better bottle. 94-95p. I tasted 1945 and 1959 from this property in 2022, and I could easily find the same terroir characteristics and style of wine in 1964.
1959 Corbin 92p
Tasted in July 2020. Not chateau bottled. Exquisite, gracious, finesse, delicate fruit with sweetness, very much alive, balanced. Smooth, fruity finish. Fine effort.
1955 Corbin 91p
Tasted in July 2021. Half bottle bottled by a famous English wine merchant, Averys of Bristol. Still much alive, silky fruit with sweetness, very mature, truffles, elegant and tasty. This wine kept well for 66 years - a rarity.
1945 Corbin 96p
I tasted it in May 2020. It was a blast from the past! You come across such a fabulous and well-stored bottle sparingly. Young in color and appearance, it's unbelievable! It had a dignified cherry nose and was sleek on the palate. It was sophisticated, with perfect balance, sheer elegance, and a great intensity of flavors. It had a smooth and lingering finish.
Unforgettable experience!