Bordeaux

Today a rising star of the Médoc, Château Les Grands Chênes (under the umbrella of Bernard Magrez properties) is sought-after by wine enthusiasts. The outstanding quality of its wine has won the plaudits of all the fine wine connoisseurs over more than twenty years.  It is called an “Assimilé Grand Cru” wine, which is a term used to designate wines which, although not classified, are considered equivalent in terms of quality and expression of terroir.  Château Les Grands Chênes has continued to gain awards and win medals at the leading national and international wine challenges and to earn the recognition of the most prestigious wine guides.

Location: Saint-Christoly Médoc, a town once famous for its port with the sound of barrels rolling onto the quayside, is where the vineyards of  Château Les Grands Chênes are located.  Ideally planted on a beautiful hillside of Garonne gravel, it makes the most of this top-quality terroir.

Appellation: Médoc

Soil: Garonne gravel

Average Age of the Vines: 41 years old

Vine Density: 7,500 vines/hectare

Vinification: Transferred to small-sized temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Average maceration time is 28-30 days.

Aging: Approximately 16 months.

Grape Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes: Deep garnet color, with hints of mahogany and biscuit that come with age. The nose is complex, with notes of blackcurrant and plum, followed by secondary aromas like cinnamon and charred wood. Well-rounded, perfectly balanced tannins. Roasted notes and ripe fruit on the palate. Balanced, full-bodied finish.

Established in the 18th century and family owned for generations, Chateau Lillian Ladouys was bought in recent years by a private investor who has invested heavily in both the vineyards and the winery. The modernisation has hugely benefitted the resulting wines and Lillian Ladouys is certainly one to watch – if the 2003 and 2005 vintages are anything to go by! Hearty, concentrated, and with fine tannin structure, the new wave of wines coming from this Chateau are fantastic examples of Saint-Estèphe claret.
The estate covers an area of 47 hectares spread in a slightly disparate fashion across the St Estèphe appellation, within sight of some prestigious neighbors such as Cos d’Estournel.

Château Lilian Ladouys embarked on an official conversion to organic farming in 2020.  In 2024, they produced their first organically grown vintage.

Grape Varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc (slight increase in Cabernet Sauvignon in recent years)

Average Age of the Vines: 40 years old

Soil: About 2/3 of the vineyard is situated on well drained soils rich in coarse gravel, with pebbles up to 8 cm across. The remaining vineyards are clay over a limestone bedrock.

Vinification: At harvest time, the fruit is sorted in the vineyard and on arrival at the chai, before fermentation by indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, regulated to 31-33ºC.

Aging: The young wine goes into oak barrels, of which 1/3 are new with each vintage, where malolactic occurs. The wine will remain here 16-18 months before an egg-white fining, filtration, and bottling.

Overview: La Devise de Lilian has become a benchmark among second wines.  Its flavorful style and its well-integrated tannins have won the hearts of those who love softness and richness. La Devise does not use strict plot definition, but is instead a true second wine, a genuine signature blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at the forefront.

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Aging: La Devise is matured for an average of 12 months and is accessible in its youthful prime.

Tasting Notes: Fruity with a velvety structure, it pairs wonderfully with fresh cuisine such as white meat or fruity desserts.

The history of Lynch-Bages, situated in the lands of “Batges” at the entrance to Pauillac, is emblematic of the Médoc region.  Although there are records of the Bages territory as far back as the 16th century, the history of wine production in the area really began in the 18th century. From 1749 to 1824, the vineyard was owned by Thomas Lynch, the son of an Irishman from Galway who worked as a merchant in Bordeaux. Thomas Lynch managed the land wisely and produced high quality wines under the name of ”Cru de Lynch”. As part of the prestigious 1855 Classification, for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, his wine would soon be classified as one of the fifth growths.

Later on, Jean ”Lou Janou” Cazes, a ”Montagnol” (a term used to describe farmers from the austere upper valleys of Ariège), came to the Médoc to earn a living. In the 1930’s, General Félix de Vial, a descendant of the Cayrou family, leased the vineyard to Jean-Charles Cazes, the son of ”Lou Janou” and a farmer at Château Ormes de Pez in Saint-Estèphe. Cazes went on to purchase both properties in the wake of World War II. Lynch-Bages has been run by the Cazes family ever since.

Lynch-Bages’ old vat-house represents a rare example of traditional winemaking equipment the Médoc area. Its slatted flooring which introduced the advantages of gravitational design now used in modern vat-houses, was invented by Skawinski in 1850.  Back then, grapes were transported in a cart pulled by horses and then lifted by crane and emptied into a wooden tank on wheels and tracks. One or two winemakers inside the tank then crushed the grapes, making the juice flow out through openings into vats on either side. A rope-pulley-bucket system and no less than six workers were then required to remove the leftover grape skins from the fermentation vat.

Appellation: Pauillac

Classification: Grand Cru Classé

Owner: Jean-Michel Cazes

Production Area: 90 hectares

Terroir: Garonne Gravel

Harvest: Hand-picked and sorted at the vineyard

Aging: French oak barrels for 15 months (70% new wood)

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Tasting Notes: Exhibits wonderful dark cherry and leather notes. Medium bodied with well-integrated tannins and a nice earthy spice on the finish.

Overview: Château Haut-Bages Averous was the name of the former Pauillac estate acquired by André Cazes and was the domaine’s second wine from 1976 onwards. It was renamed Echo de Lynch-Bages as of the 2008 vintage in order to affirm its relationship with the Grand Cru Classé. Its name Echo refers to the nymph from Greek mythology who was deprived of speech by Hera as a punishment for distracting her when Zeus wished to consort with beautiful mortals. As such, although Echo de Lynch-Bages is not the first to speak, it shares the first wine’s elegance and character.

AOC: Pauillac

Production Area: 90 hectares

Soil: Garonne Gravel

Harvest: Hand-picked and sorted at the vineyard

Aging: French oak barrels during 12 months, in barrels used for one previous vintage.

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Tasting Notes: Like its big brother, Echo de Lynch-Bages displays the characteristic taste, aromas and length of Pauillac wines. As an echo of the first wine, it receives the same care and attention from the vine to the cellars. It is the result of a selection of Lynch-Bages’ youngest vines and specific plots which represent between 25 to 40 % of the harvest depending on the vintage. Echo de Lynch-Bages is round, soft and seductive in its youth with outstanding potential for bottle age.

Overview: Born in 1990, Lynch-Bages White is made from a blend of the Bordeaux appellation’s 3 traditional white grape varieties, planted on 8 of the Pauillac estate’s parcels. Increased precision in the selection process since 2006 as well as preventing oxidation to the fruit before pressing contribute to the harmonious aging of the wine.

AOC: Bordeaux

Production Area: 5.5 hectares

Soil: Garonne Gravel

Harvest: Hand-picked and sorted at the vineyard

Aging: Regular stirring of the lees on oak barrels for 6 months (50% new oak)

Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle (percentages vary depending on the vintage)

Tasting Notes: A fresh blend of the three traditional grape varieties. Aromas of fresh and exotic fruits from Sauvignon Blanc, dried and candied fruits and white flowers from Sémillon and delicate woody and vanilla notes from Muscadelle come together to make this complex Lynch-Bages White. The palate balances freshness and strength with a round, ample yet elegant structure. Characteristic of fine Bordeaux whites, Lynch-Bages White is lively and explosive in its early youth and retains impressive length on the palate for the duration of its life.

The history of the Château dates back to 1610 when Domaine de Moussas-Bages belonged to the family of Jehan, wine merchant and owner of several estates. In 1728, Domaine de Moussas-Bages was bought by the Drouillard family. In 1748, Thomas Lynch inherited the estate from his wife, Elisabeth Drouillard, and renamed it Chateau Lynch. In 1779, Jean-Baptiste Lynch, Mayor of the city of Bordeaux in 1808, Earl of the Empire in 1811, then Peer of France in 1815, inherited the Château and entrusted its management to his brother, Michel Lynch, Chevalier and Mayor of Pauillac. When Jean-Baptiste Lynch died in 1835, Château Lynch was divided into two properties: Lynch-Moussas (Moussas being located on the locality called Moussas) and Lynch-Bages (located on the place called Bages).

In 1847, Château Lynch-Moussas was bought by a family of Spanish wine merchants, the Vasquez family. In 1855, the Chateau became 5th Grand Cru Classé of the Médoc.

In 1919, Jean Castéja, owner of Château Duhart-Milon, 4th Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac, Pichon-Longueville Baron, 2nd Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac, and Doisy-Védrines, 2nd Grand Cru Classé of Sauternes and Barsac, bought Château Lynch-Moussas. At that time, the property spanned more than 250 hectares, including 120 hectares of vineyards, forest, and pasture. At the end of the 1960s, the sons of Jean Castéja, Pierre, Émile, Jean, and Édouard Castéja decided to share family assets.

In 1970, Emile Castéja, married to Denise Borie and father of Chantal Preben Hansen and Philippe Castéja, took the reins of the Château. From a property whose surface vineyards had reduced to less than 10 hectares, Emile Castéja replanted the entire vineyard to reach 60 hectares. He modernized the Château to restore its luster, then the cellar to have a better winemaking facility. After this renovation, the Château was again recognized for the quality of its wine.

In the 2000s, Philippe Castéja took over and intensified the changes and modernizations with the arrival of Denis Dubourdieu and his team. It was during the 2001 vintage that Émile and Philippe Castéja launched the second wine of Château Lynch-Moussas, Les Hauts de Lynch-Moussas, from the younger plots. On June 21, 2019, it will be 100 years since the Castéja family owned and managed Château Lynch-Moussas.

Location: The vineyards of Lynch-Moussas are situated in Pauillac, contiguous to a number of other Grands Crus Classés including parcels belonging to Castles Latour, Lynch-Bages, Pichon-Longueville Baron, Grand-Puy-Lacoste and of course Batailley, which shows the quality of the soils and its production.

Grape Varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot (percentages vary depending on the vintage)

Production Area: 62 hectares

Soil: Gravelly Günzian soil composed of pebbles and gravel cemented by clay sands.

Average Age of Vines: 35 years

Annual Production: 220,000 bottles per year

Harvest: Manually done.  The final sorting takes place on the sorting table; this way, only the very best grapes arrive in the vat.

Vinification: Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with subsequent malolactic fermentation in the same vessel.

Aging: 14-18 months in oak barrels (50% new wood).  The wines are fined with egg whites but not filtered before bottling.

Tasting Notes: The wines of Lynch-Moussas are today well known for their deep and dark color, their red-fruity nose. They are round with ripe tannins, followed by the typical hints of blackcurrant of the prestigious wines of Pauillac. These full-bodied wines have a significant length on the finish.

Overview: Since 2001, the team of Chateau Lynch-Moussas has cultivated a plot located on the hill overlooking the Chateau to the south. This parcel, located in the Haut-Médoc appellation, is made up mostly of young vines and mainly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. It is used to produce the 2nd wine of the Chateau, Les Hauts de Lynch-Moussas.  This parcel is worked in the same way as the entire vineyard located in the Pauillac appellation.

Soil: Gravel and sand

Average Age of the Vines: 25 years old

Grape Varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot (percentages vary depending on the vintage)

Vinification: Light and short pumping over.  Alcoholic fermentation from 24-26 ° in the juice, then increase to 31° for maceration.  Maceration lasts an average of 4 weeks.

Yield: 44 hL

Tasting Notes: An intense ruby ​​color, fruity and roasted nose, with round and fine tannins, and a lingering finish.  Assembled with parcels of Haut-Médoc and Pauillac declassed, this wine is a very typical Pauillac.  Elegant and structured, it offers a very expressive aromatic palette with notes of raspberries, cherries, and coffee after a little aging.

This estate has been family owned since it was first created at the end of the 19th century. Pierre-Henri Descrambe, grandfather of the current owner Denis Barraud, enlarged the estate and passed the property and his love of the vine on to his grandson.  Denis has been in charge since 1971.

Denis’ philosophy is that you can only make good wine if you have meticulously looked after the vines so that they give you good grapes. He takes great pains over the viticultural methods to obtain perfectly ripe grapes. He then vinifies in such a way as to let these ripe healthy grapes express themselves and in so doing, perfectly reflect the wonderful terroir.

Since 1998 the cuvée Lynsolence, named by Denis’ daughter Sandra who also designed the label, is the perfect example of the depth and finesse that he seeks in all the wines of Vignobles Denis Barraud.

Appellation: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Production Area: 2.5 Ha (6 acres) in the commune of St. Sulpice de Faleyrens at “Le Bert”. These parcels have an excellent microclimate and are next door to such famous estates as Mr. Perse’s Chateau Monbousquet and Mr. Thunevin’s Chateau Valandraud.

Soil: Very gravelly sand, deep gravels, cool ferriferous sub-soil.

Average Age of the Vines: 45-50 years old. These are the oldest vines owned by Denis Barraud.

Grape Varieties: 100% Merlot

Planting Density: 5,600 plants/ha, low yielding grafting stock.

Average Yield: 19-25 hl/ha

Harvest: Manual harvesting with rigorous selection on tables.

Viticulture: All the rows of vines are grassed. Throughout the growing season, Barraud controls this grass with a mower which cuts right under the vines. Deleafing and green harvesting in June and August, manual removal of spurs, soil improvement using organic materials exclusively.

Vinification: The bunches are destalked and then gently crushed in a destalking/crushing machine. Using a gentle Archimedes’ Screw, the harvest is transferred to two wooden vats of 50 Hl each. This type of pump had the advantage of neither mashing nor harming the grapes. The wooden vats are thermostatically temperature controlled. They are only used for maceration and fermentation. Before fermentation takes place, the harvest undergoes cold (10°C 50°F) maceration for 9 or 10 days. Alcoholic fermentation lasts 8 to 10 days. The post fermentation maceration takes place at 30°C, (77°F) for 20 to 25 days, with the cap being pushed down once a day (“pigeage”). Regular tasting informs Barraud when maceration should stop, and he then transfers the wine to new barrels, made from French oak from the Tronçais Forest. The malolactic fermentation takes place in these new barrels.

Aging: Once malolactic fermentation is over, Barraud racks off the wine, washes the barrels and puts the wine back for about 18 months. The wine is then racked every 3 to 4 months.

Tasting Notes: Nearly black in color, very concentrated and fruit forward. The nose is creamy, with notes of cashew and Morello cherry, bursting with fruit. On the palate, it is supple, silky, full-bodied, and well built. It finishes very long.

Domaine de Lagravière, recognized since time immemorial for its excellent terroir, was purchased at the end of the eighteenth century by the family of Count Hippolyte de Maurès de Malartic. Serving the armies of the Kings of France, this Admiral fought against the English on the many seas of the world, showing special bravery in 1756 during the battle of Quebec.  The estate was then bought in 1850 by Madame Arnaud Ricard, who added the name Malartic to that of Lagravière as a tribute to the former owners.  After land reorganization and the acquisition of some small plots, the estate took on the form which it was to keep until the 1950s.  The Marly family were the last of the Ricard ancestry to run the Château. Of particular note, Jacques Marly was estate manager from 1947 to 1990.  Having enjoyed an excellent reputation from the beginning of the nineteenth century, Château Malartic-Lagravière was one of only six properties in Bordeaux to enter the 1953 Graves classification for both its red and white wines.  At the end of 1996, the Château entered a new era with the arrival of the Bonnie family.

Overview: This is the second wine of Château Malartic-Lagravière

Production Area: 53 hectares

Terroir: Dry gravel and clay; subsoil of limestone with veins of clay

Grape Varietals: 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot (percentages change depending on the vintage)

Plantation Density: 10,000 vines/hectare

Training System: Double guyot

Yield: 43 hl/ha

Viticulture: Sustainable

Harvest: Manual

Vinification: In small, truncated, thermo-regulated wooden and stainless steel tanks for 28-30 days.

Aging: Traditionally done in French oak barrels for 15 months

Consultant: Michel Rolland

Tasting Notes: Beautiful, deep red color with glints of violet.  Fine intensity on the nose, pleasantly complex, with red fruit, floral, smoky, toasted, and mineral notes.  On the palate, it is mellow, smooth, and well-rounded with good volume. The same aromatic profile develops as in the nose, with fruity, toasted, smoky, slightly minerally notes.  Plump tannins with good length and pleasant complexity. A charming, enjoyable wine that offers a good representation of the appellation and the terroir.

Overview: Le Comte de Malartic is another second wine of Château Malartic-Lagravière.

Appellation: Pessac-Léognan

Owner: Bonnie Family

Consulting Oenologist: Eric Boissenot

Production Area: 71 hectares (175 acres), 62 hectares of which are planted with red.

Soil: Quartenary Günzian well-drained gravels and clay gravels on shelly limestone and clay subsoil.

Planted Grape Varieties: 56% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet-Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Plant Density: 10,000 plants/ha

Average Age of the Vines: 28 years old

Pruning Method: Double Guyot

Viticulture: Agroecology, plant cover, eco-pasture, minimal ploughing with horses. Sustainable farming, High Environmental Value certification 3 Opt A, ISO 14001 (EMS).

Harvest: Manual harvest by intra-plot passes, double sorting tables

Vinification: Double cap, thermoregulated stainless steel and oak vats. Vatting period lasts 21 to 23 days.

Aging: Early blending, traditional on fine lees in French oak barrels for about 15 months (30% new oak)

Overview: Since the 17th century, the first wine of Château Margaux has been recognized as being one of the greatest wines in the entire world. It owes its unique qualities to the genius of its terroir as well as to the passionate work of a succession of generations. It’s a remarkable wine that comes from a combination of characteristics that are only rarely found: finesse, elegance, complexity, density, intensity, length and freshness. Although its tannic concentration may be exceptional, it’s rare to detect astringency.

The great vintages are distinguished by their formidable ability to move us. The lesser vintages give pleasure to wise enthusiasts. They offer the advantage of evolving very rapidly and, reveal, after a few years, instead of power, this subtlety that is the prerogative of great terroirs.

Château Margaux has an extraordinary ability to evolve. Over the years, it has developed a finesse, an aromatic complexity and a remarkable presence on the palate.

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc (percentages change depending on the vintage)

Vinification: Fermentation in oak barrels.

Aging: 18 to 24 months in new oak barrels. Fining with egg-white.

Annual Production: 130,000 bottles

Overview: The production of a second wine probably goes back to the beginning of the XVII century because it is inseparable from the search for excellence which started at that time. Sold under the name of “Château Margaux 2nd wine”, it took its permanent name of Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux in 1908. After an eclipse between the thirties and the mid-seventies, its production restarted on the arrival of André Mentzelopoulos in 1977 and at first greatly increased in order to improve the quality of the first wine. From the mid – 1990s, the creation of a third wine in its turn, allowed for a more and more rigorous selection for Pavillon Rouge. For a few years now, a third of the harvest has gone into the first wine, barely 30% into the Pavillon Rouge, and the remainder is divided between the third and fourth wines.
The quality of Pavillon Rouge has become very close to that of the first wine because all the plots involved contributed to the blending of Château Margaux not so long ago. Of course there isn’t the same complexity, the same depth, the same “magic” but the flavors are close and the balance in the mouth leads to the same subtle senses of power and softness. In general it is ready to drink a little earlier whilst retaining an excellent potential to age largely beyond 30 or 40 years.

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc (percentages change depending on the vintage)

Vinification: Fermentation in oak barrels.

Aging: 18 to 24 months in new oak barrels. Fining with egg-white.

Annual Production: About 100,000 bottles

In 1875, the year of his marriage, J. Petit-Laroche offered his wife the construction of a fine residence opposite his Médoc cellars as a wedding gift. The result was the Chtaeau as we know it today. The Chateau MAUCAILLOU building is listed in the “BORDEAUX CHÂTEAUX” inventory collection. At the same time, J. Petit-Laroche created a new wine estate in the localities known as “MAUCAILLOU” and “CAUBET”, with an area of one and a half hectares, named Chateau MAUCAILLOU. “MAUCAILLOU” means “mauvais cailloux”, the French for bad stone, as the term was understood by the farmers of the middle ages, given that this type of gravel plot was not suitable for growing cereal, the main source of livelihood at the time. It was later discovered that such gravel outcrops constituted an ideal terroir for highly expressive vineyards.

In 1929, Roger and André DOURTHE purchased CAVES ET ENTREPOTS DE MOULIS (Moulis Cellars and Warehouses), located next to the railway station at Moulis-en-Médoc, to ensure easier shipment of wines throughout France and Europe. They concomitantly became the owners of Chateau MAUCAILLOU (2.5 hectares, with half of the vineyard in red varieties and the other half in white varieties). In 2006, Pascal DOURTHE became the manager of Chateau MAUCAILLOU, supported by his two sisters, Caroline and Magali.

The MOULIS vineyard is the oldest in the Médoc, with traces found in title deeds dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The terroirs on which the 63 hectares of Château MAUCAILLOU vineyards grow consist of fine quaternary alluvium outcrops, a large part of which stems from the Güntz Garonne gravel stratum, at the origin of the Great Classified Crus of the Médoc. This gravel, with its big shiny stones, reflects the rays of the summer sun onto the grapes, thereby enhancing their perfect ripeness, an essential condition for the birth of a great wine.

Grape varieties : 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

The harvest is often mixed, partly by hand and partly by machine, depending on plots, plant health and weather conditions. The grapes are first sorted in the vineyard. The harvest is then taken to the fermentation cellar in small bins to avoid crushing the grapes during transport.

Vinification is carefully undertaken under the watchful eye of Philippe DOURTHE, graduate oenologist, in two modern vat rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The vat room, in stainless steel, is entirely thermoregulated in order to apply the specific method that Philippe DOURTHE developed in 1982. It consists of vinifying at relatively low temperature over the first few days, in order to extract the quintessence of the fruit aromas of the grape, then, at the end of fermentation, letting the temperature rise to extract the finest tannins and the colour.

At MAUCAILLOU, malolactic fermentation follows immediately after alcoholic fermentation.

Production Area: 87 hectares

Soil: 80% Güntz gravel, 20% Clay-limestone

Average Age of the Vines: 30 years old

Varietal Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot

Annual Production: 27,000 cases

Aging: Aged in 40-75% new wood barrels for approximately 18 months

Tasting Notes: Fresh and floral with aromas of orange sorbet infused with red fruit. On the palate, the tannins are supple; very good structure with a long, virile finish.

Overview: The second wine of Château Maucaillou is produced from the same fine terroir as the first wine.

Vinification: Following stringent sortings the N°2 de Maucaillou is aged by Philippe Dourthe with the same painstaking and watchful care as is devoted to the 1st wine.

Tasting Notes: Charming, drinkable, generously fruited, round, and fleshy with a long finish and silky tannins.

Average Annual Production: 108,000 bottles

Cellaring Potential: 5-10 years

Serving Temperature: 16-18°C

Food Pairings: Grilled red meat, duck

Owners: Sarl Chateau Maucaillou – Famille Dourthe

Soil: 76% Guntz gravels, 24% Clayey limestone

Production Area: 13 hectares

Grape Varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc

Plant Density: 7,000 vines/ha

Average Age of the Vines: 25 years

Harvest: 100% harvested mechanically with sorting in the cellars

Vinification: Fully temperature-controlled vat room. Vinification done according to grape variety and quality of the harvest. Traditional vinification with a pre-fermentation maceration at 22 degrees, then daily pumping-over of the vat during alcoholic fermentation. Fermentation temperature controlled between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius. Devatting takes place on average 3 weeks after the beginning of alcoholic fermentation.

Aging: Aging of the lots in barrels for a minimum of 18 months. Filtration done with egg whites. Bottling on premises.

Annual Production: Approx. 70,000 bottles

The history of Chateau Mauvesin dates back to the 15th century. It was in 1457 that Jean de Foix Grailly became proprietor of the first Chateau de Mauvesin in the district of Moulis en Médoc. At this time, it was a true fortified castle with towers and battlements. 50 years later, it was acquired by the La Rivière family through the marriage in 1582 of Marguerite de La Rivière with Jacques Le Blanc, who became lord of Mauvesin. Soon after the Revolution in 1792, the old chateau was seized by the state and put up for sale in Lesparre, where it was attributed to “citizen” Clarcke acting for the account of Pauline Le Blanc. The old chateau remained the property of the family but due to its state of ruin, it was demolished in 1852.
The construction of the present chateau in 1853 on the site of the original chateau is thanks to Marquis Lodoïs Le Blanc de Mauvesin and his wife. On the advice of architect Perrier and inspired by the style of Louis XIII, the chateau consists of “two pavilions and two turrets, combining elegance and solidity. The façade is upon a magnificent garden with a pond and a beautiful collection of conifers.” After 2 years labor, the chateau remains as it was when constructed in 1853 and the trees planted at the creation of the park constitute this timeless home.
Having built the chateau in 1853, the Marquis Lodoïs Le Blanc de Mauvesin died in 1884 leaving no direct heirs. He decided to leave his patrimony to his first cousin, Hyppolite de Baritault du Carpia, his closest relative. The Baritaults, an eminent family originally from the Vendée area, kept Chateau Mauvesin for 4 generations up to its sale in 2011.
The Viscount and Viscountess Alain de Baritault du Carpia, heirs of the family Le Blanc de Mauvesin, sold the property on the 4th August 2011 to Lilian and Michel Barton Sartorius. The Barton family has for eight generations been owners of the Crus Classés Langoa and Leoville Barton, situated in the Saint Julien appellation.

Overview: In August 2011, The Barton Sartorius family acquired this historical wine producing estate and its Château that was re-baptized Château Mauvesin Barton. With the Barton family’s centuries of experience and unique expertise behind them, each of the four family members plays a specific role, perpetuating tradition and sharing their passion : Lilian Barton Sartorius takes on the management of the Château, Michel Sartorius takes care of the wine distribution, Mélanie Barton Sartorius becomes technical manager and Damien Barton Sartorius brings his expertise to the commercialisation of the wine.

Terroir: The vineyard is situated in the “Moulis-en-Médoc” appellation, to the north of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. Part of the soil is clay-gravel, perfectly adapted for the development of Cabernet-Franc and Merlot. Another part is made up of fine gravel and gritty sand, allowing the Cabernet Sauvignon to reach full ripeness. As for all the Barton family activities, great importance is attached to environmental protection and the quality of the wines produced. The 55 hectares of vines comprise 54% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc.

Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Vinification: The younger vines are picked by hand. After careful selection, the grapes are placed in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for the fermentation and maceration phase. The ageing process lasts 12 to 15 months, in French oak barrels of which one third are new. The casks rest on a gravel bed to regulate humidity.

Aging: 1/3 new wood barrels

Tasting Notes: Ruby color, nose of toasted hazelnut and red fruits (cherry, blueberry). Delicate tannins. Wine with balance and finesse. Fresh, almost minty finish. Nice length and drinkability.

Overview: L’Impression de Mauvesin Barton is the second wine of Château Mauvesin Barton. The second wine is the result of the selection of the Grand Vin.

Owner: Barton-Sartorius family

Vineyard Manager: Laurent Crouzet

Cellar Master: Bruno Petit

Production Area: 42 hectares

Location: Located in Moulis-en-Médoc, Castelnau and Avensan towns, 30 km North of Bordeaux

Soil: Calcareous clay conducive to the development of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with some gravel and sand to achieve an exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon

Average Age of the Vines: 35 years old

Pruning: Double cane pruning, weed on the rows, reasoned additives

Grape Varieties: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Cabernet Franc 15%

Harvest: Optical sorting at the reception of the harvest, vibrating dump

Vinification: Plot by plot vinification, thermo-regulated, stainless-steel vats of small volume, maceration and fermentation in tank

Aging: In barrels

Average Yield: 45 hl/ha

Alcohol: 13%

Production: Approx. 75,000 bottles

Tasting Notes: Ruby color with toasted notes and a ripe nose. On the palate, silky tannins and a good aromatic persistence.

Château Meyney is one of the oldest estates in the Médoc.  In 1662, it was a convent mentioned in records under the names “Couvent des Feuillants” or “Prieuré des Couleys”.  Today, the estate stretches over some of the best hilltops above the Gironde Estuary.  The river lying alongside the first rows of vines makes for a majestic, serene landscape.
The estate belonged to the Luetkens family for several generations, and was then acquired by Mr. Désiré Cordier in 1919.  In 2004, CA Grands Crus, a subsidiary of the Groupe Crédit Agricole, acquired Château Meyney, with a determination to strengthen the potential of this outstanding cru.  An improvement plan was put together for the entire estate.  It is supervised today by Anne Le Naour, the Technical Director, and the consultant oenologist, Hubert de Bouärd.
The company CA Grands Crus, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Groupe Crédit Agricole, became, in 2004, the owner of prestigious Bordeaux estates: Château de Rayne Vigneau, 1^er Grand Cru Classé Sauternes, Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, 5^ème Grand Cru Classé Pauillac, Château Meyney, Saint-Estèphe, Château Blaignan, Cru Bourgeois Médoc.

The château lies at the center of a single block vineyard of 51 hectares (126 acres), overlooking the Gironde.  The presence of the estuary protects the estate from frosts.  The vineyard is planted on Garonne gravels.  The vines are an average age of 35-40 years old, divided between 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot.  The vines climb to an altitude of 20 meters up, quite a steep slope, ensuring good natural drainage of the soil.  Similar to “Pétrus”, a layer of blue clay about 3-meters thick lies at a depth of 2.6 meters below the surface.  These remarkable natural factors give the wine an exceptional richness.

Soil: Garonne Gravels, clay-limestone

Average Age of the Vines: 35-40 years

Grape Varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot

Viticulture: Parcel management of soil and vineyard.  Certified sustainable farming.

Vinification: Following hand-picking and selection of the grapes on the vine, the grapes are carefully selected in the winery, passing through a brand-new optical sorting machine.  The grapes are then fermented in vats of varying capacities, which allow us to adapt to the size of each batch.  The fermentation starts after a few days of cool soaking.  After fermentation, maceration continues for an average of 30 days before the wine is run off.  Part of the wine goes through malolactic fermentation in new barrels.

Aging: The wine is aged in French oak barrels from 18-24 months depending on the vintage.  40% of the barrels are renewed each year.

Average Yield: 50 hl/ha

Production: Around 160,000 bottles

Tasting Notes: The unusually high share of Petit Verdot explains a particular trait of the wines, which regularly show notes of leather and musk after a period of time.  The wine is full-bodied, well-rounded and structured.  After aging, the wine displays the remarkable charm of the best Saint-Estèphe: complexity, balance, and harmony.

Overview: The result of rigorous selection at each stage of production, in both the vineyard and the winery, this great, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon wine is typical of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. Structured and tannic but with all the elegance and refinement of a Grand Cru Classé, with time it develops a delicate and complex bouquet. This wine has considerable aging potential and is exceptionally long-lived. Certain vintages (1921, 1929, 1982, 1990, 2009) are considered legendary.

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Aging: Matured for 18 months in 60% new oak barrels, the premium wine accounts on average for 55% of the estate’s total production.

Tasting Notes: Dense and profound color. Complex nose delivering aromas of morello, blond tobacco and chocolate. Slightly wooded. Long and full on the palate with aromas of morello, raspberry, mocha. Supple and long finish on neat and coated tannins. Balanced and harmonious. The tasting was very homogeneous, soft and silky.

Overview: Third blend made from batches of the younger vines and the lees wines, the Tertio de Montrose is produced on the exceptional terroir of Château Montrose and vinified by its teams.  Named Saint-Estèphe de Montrose when created in 2008, it was renamed Tertio de Montrose in 2016.  This wine is made with the same quality requirements as the Grand Vin and La Dame de Montrose selections.  Typical of the Bordeaux blends, it can be enjoyed in its early years.

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Harvest: Mid-September

Aging: 12 months in barrels (of which 15% are new)

Winemaker Tasting Notes: “The color is a beautiful cherry red.  The nose reveals aromas of red fruit accompanied by some spicy and lightly smoky notes.  The attack, full and round, reveals beautiful freshness on the palate.”

On the eve of the 1997 harvest, Jean-Hubert Delon purchased Château Nénin, which had belonged to his cousins, the Despujol family, since 1847. A major restructuring was immediately undertaken.
The pruning and trellising methods were reviewed, the land was drained, the vines were replanted or uprooted, and the equipment modernized. The aging and storage cellars were extended and completely re-fitted, and air conditioning was added. A new vat room, furnished with state-of-the-art equipment, was built thereby completing the total transformation of the property.

Château Nénin’s vineyards grow on a single block of land with the exception of one plot. In Pomerol, where it is rare for an estate to exceed 10 hectares, Château Nénin’s vineyard is considered very large, with 32 hectares of vines in production. As a consequence, its terroir includes the many, diverse soils that characterize Pomerol. It is mainly made up of Oligocene deposits covered by Dordogne alluvial gravelly formations; siliceous clay and gravel, quartz, granite, iron-deposits and basalt pebbles. Château Nénin’s vineyards grow on the great clay-gravel terroirs of the Pomerol Plateau. The grape varieties planted are Merlot 76%, Cabernet Franc 23%, and Cabernet Sauvignon 1%.

Overview: According to the Delon family, Château Nénin is the epitome of a great Pomerol “vin de garde” (wine for laying down). It combines power and elegance, complexity and balance, purity and refi nement. The gradual increase of Cabernet Franc within the vineyards gives the wine tautness, distinction and freshness. To really appreciate the Grand Vin’s ageing ability, you may need to be patient. Like all great Pomerol vins de garde, Château Nénin blossoms over time.

AOC: Pomerol

Production Area: 32 ha

Grape Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc (percentages vary depending on the vintage)

Average Age of Vines: 28 years

Density of Plantation: 6,300 to 7,100 plants/ha

Aging: Château Nenin is aged in 30% new oak (or less) for an average of 18 months.

Overview: Fugue de Nénin was created and first sold in 1997. Fugue comes from sandy-clay soils found in the eastern part of the Château’s vineyards, as well as from the young vines planted on the great plateau terroirs. This second wine is a typical example of the charm of Pomerol. Fugue is a reference to music; it means a repetition of the main theme. This name makes sense when you taste the wine – Fugue complements the tonalities of its older sibling extremely well, while providing its own attractive and entertaining rendition. The wines are smooth and silky and can be enjoyed earlier than those of the Grand Vin.

Grape Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc (percentages vary depending on the vintage)

Tasting Notes: Intense garnet color.  The nose is fine, elegant, with notes of red fruit and citrus.  On the palate, the tannins are supple with fruity hints.