Our wines

After a very wet and sunless spring, the vines were subjected, as early as April, to exceptional downy mildew pressure, further intensified in May by regular rainfall that endangered the harvest day after day. Constant vigilance was required, and the fine-tuning of canopy management combined with a measured protective approach proved decisive in preserving the potential of the crop.

Summer began with a hailstorm that affected part of the vineyards of Fronsadais and Pomerol. Despite a brief sunny spell that raised hopes for a promising harvest, frequent rains once again weakened the vines and jeopardized expectations of an optimal yield.

September started cool and rainy before a marked rise in temperatures at the end of the month opened, little by little, short windows of ripening. This called for a staggered harvest and particularly rigorous sorting.

In Puisseguin, 2024 is shaping up to be an aromatically fruity vintage: precise decisions in both the vineyard and the cellar, carefully managed extractions, and balanced ageing have preserved all the brilliance of the fruit.

In the end, 2024 delivers red wines with fresh balance, moderate alcohol, and an elegant, digestible structure, favoring fruit purity and terroir expression over sheer power.

While autumn 2022 was very warm, extending the summer, winter was slightly cooler than in recent years yet remained within the decade’s average, with month-to-month precipitation likewise within norms. Spring was warmer than average and, in April, conditions shifted to a warm, humid pattern with regular, albeit light, rainfall.

This combination produced strong downy mildew pressure, particularly in June. Our team’s vineyard monitoring had to be meticulous, treatment schedules flawless, and execution exemplary, especially within our organic farming approach.

We therefore doubled our efforts to bring the vineyard and fruit to optimal ripeness for harvest. Summer arrived with drought conditions and high temperatures (2 °C above normal), which accelerated ripening for our Chardonnay, picked in the last week of August. Between 4 and 7 September, temperatures rose another notch, launching picking of red varieties from young vines from the 10th onward. Rainfall from 10 to 12 September forced us to postpone the rest of the harvest by a few days, beginning with Merlot and then Cabernet Franc, which remained largely unaffected by mildew throughout the season.

The restructuring begun in 2009 to reach 50% Cabernet Franc on the estate once again proved its worth: the variety showed particularly high quality this year and allowed our teams to harvest calmly, in staggered waves, to best address heterogeneous ripeness across parcels. As every year, we finished with Carménère, which benefited from a summery end of September to reach perfect maturity.

In the end, the aromatic potential of the musts is good across all varieties, with clear intensity on ripe-fruit profiles. The vintage therefore promises wines that are supple, generous and agreeable, without excess or opulence. Our blends, continuing the line of recent vintages and with an ever-greater share of Cabernet Franc, aim to preserve roundness and the silky feel of the tannins. There is no doubt that this “vignerons’ vintage” will be enjoyable in its youth as well as after several years of cellaring, when it will reveal its full potential.

Autumn and winter were particularly dry (a 35% water deficit was already recorded) and relatively mild, with an unusually warm February (+2.2°C above seasonal norms). This winter mildness led to early budbreak at the end of March and, once again, had dramatic consequences when spring frosts struck from 2 to 5 April. The frost arrived relatively early in the season, prompting rapid development of secondary buds. Although these are less fertile, often implying lower yields, the vegetative cycle resumed on a shifted calendar, ultimately helped by a fine late season.

June, July and August brought repeated heat events, with temperatures up to four degrees above normal for several consecutive days. Véraison took place between 8 and 10 July for the earliest sites (young vines in Pomerol, Graves de Pessac), but more generally at the end of July. Serial ripeness checks in early August showed a rapid drop (over 50%) in total acidity, and especially in malic acid, giving the wines brightness and lift.

For the reds, the 2022 harvest unfolded in exceptionally favourable, low-stress conditions. We were able to pick “à la carte,” parcel by parcel, in line with staggered ripening, as the very clement weather allowed. In early September there were still sizeable gaps between technological ripeness (which was achieved), phenolic ripeness (which took longer) and aromatic ripeness. At the same time, tannin extractability and quality were not yet optimal, even though sugars were already high and the levels of total, malic and tartaric acidity pointed to sound balance. Picking strategies were therefore adapted to each terroir, and the harvest sequence was organised to bring in grapes at peak condition. During this crucial period we closely tracked the balance between rising potential alcohol and skins that could still feel firm. With no rain and no pressure from the weather, nothing suggested urgency; this year we truly had to encourage growers to start picking.

More than ever, vinifications had to be measured rather than forceful: avoid over-extraction, favour restraint, this was a marathon, not a sprint. Maceration times and temperatures were tailored to any vine blockages, vine age, and other parameters. Continuous tasting during maceration was critical to fine-tune the work on the wines and to seek the best balance. Considering the interplay of alcohol, pH, total acidity and, crucially, phenolic richness, 2022 should not be seen as a caricature of a hot year but, surprisingly, as a well-balanced one.

The reds are rich and dense, with real power and a silky texture, yet without heaviness, unlike some of the solar vintages of the past. In 2022 we aimed to preserve the poise and natural acidity, and to retain the fresh, vivid aromatics present at harvest. We were vigilant throughout vinification so as not to upset the wines’ natural balance; macerations were extended to build charm, and we shaped a firm mid-palate to counterbalance occasionally higher alcohols.

2022 is a great, cellar-worthy Bordeaux vintage, beautifully balanced in a style that Bordeaux lovers cherish.

In 2021, Bordeaux once again benefited from an unexpectedly benevolent late season. As so often, Merlot suffered more from the gloomy summer and the late vegetative growth shutdown, particularly on light soils. Although the grapes were picked with high malic acid, the wines show classic pH and total acidity after malolactic fermentation.

The wines are fruit-driven, well-coloured and supple in texture. The year’s unusually large berries often translate into a lack of mid-palate concentration. On the best Libournais terroirs, where water supply was more even, however, Merlot shows greater flesh and can be very successful.

Right-bank Cabernet Franc is of very good quality. An early-October anticyclonic spell allowed the harvest to be delayed, and the variety capitalised on it. Perfumed and velvety, it plays an important role in the blends.

The return of fine weather in October reassured growers and generally brought Cabernet Sauvignon to good ripeness. Well-coloured, fresh and aromatic, these wines show serious tannic structure and fine depth, particularly on the great gravel terroirs.

While the reds may not display, at the outset of élevage, the intensity and concentration of the three preceding vintages, there are fine successes on both banks. 2021 will be remembered as a particularly testing year for vignerons, ultimately rewarded by a providential end of season.

2019, an unpredictable vintage.

After a fresh and humid January, temperatures increased in February and March, with unusual dry and warm days. April and May have seen few days arounf 0°C leading to some frost on the plots near the woods.

Early June, the increase of temperature allow the vines to blossom followed by a very hot summer, with peaks at 40°C.

The big difference in temperatures in September between days and nights (12°C at night, 26°C during the day) has been good for the grapes. Harvest has started mi-september, under a beautiful sky and warm temperatures. Merlots were ripped and tasty. End of September, the cooler and cloudy weather has lead to a decrease of the potential alcohol degrees and allow Cabernets Francs to reach a perfcet maturity. Second part of the harvest has been done early October for the lastest Merlot and finished mid-ocotber with the last Cabernet Franc.

The winter 16/17 is historically dry. The first rain being in February. December and January were cold and dry and the humidity in February and March did not allow to compensate the lack of rain. Consequently, soils were very dry and the first strong sun of the Spring allow the vines to evoluate quickly. Blossoms arrived end of March and the growth has been very fast afterwards. Unfortunattelly the frost arrived during the night of April 20 and then April 28.The heat is present during all the month of Mai.

Juin is beautiful with very hight temperatures and few big rain, avoiding lack of water in the soils. July will be more complicated with humidity and less sun, which will only come back in the beginning of August, but not for long. The month will be cooler than usual and hight temperatures will only be back at the end of the month.

September will be also cloudy, this lack of sun resulting in wine with high acidity.

This winter brought serious concerns to all winemakers, their anxiety growing as the first buds in cotton started being noticeable since the beginning of February.

Happily, the low temperatures of March and water-soaked soils brought back more energy to vineyards, causing the buds to become stronger.

Despite on this little progress, a true coolness of April slowed down the growth of vineyard and we had a small catastrophe between 28Th and 30th of April, with serious frosts settling upon the vineyard, but we were still able to avoid a total loss of future harvest.The level of precipitation in May was truly high, bringing along the pressure of mildiou, that at this time reached a record peak. Several winemakers were worried if their vines would be able to obtain clean flowering. It happened almost like a miracle around 10th of June, the weather became marvelous, a true gift for winemakers, due to its homogeneous character lasting for about four days. What everyone wished for, sun and dry days, finally came true.

July was hot and dry with some peaks of temperatures reaching beyond 35*C, but winemakers remain optimistic, as the water reserves are sufficient to make it through this heat.

The September`s storms brought to our vineyard a true salvation and allowed it to have a well-deserved rest. Harvesting beginning slowly in the first days of autumn.

This is to say, the vintage 2016 offers wines with delightful aromas, strongly identifiable, yet subtle tannins.

The winter turned out to be rather cold, marked by several nocturnal frosts, several grey and damp days from November to February, and long weeks of rains in winter. Needless to say, that water reserves were well reconstituted, but the situation was reversed in March for a dry, but still cold weather, continuously pushing back the blossoming of buds. It happened to be necessary to await until the first days of April to come to finally notice the awakening of the vegetation. . In May, the weather conditions provided rapid and regular growth.The second part of the month, although being a little cooler, brought no rain. During the first 10 days June, reasonable temperatures as well as the absence of any precipitation gave place to a rapid flowering, grouped, without too much sagging of the branches or berries falling off them. A walk in the vines, at that time, would be filled with aromas of vine flower, the crops reassured us showing a very well balanced in quantity, clusters being rather small and full sized. In most cases, there would be little to touch up in terms of leaves thinning. Summer was dry, not a drop of water since the middle of June.

From the end of July, it was clear that the vegetation stop would be clean and frank, that the sun would have already burned acidity, equally putting an end to the idea of vegetable aromas in the grapes. This vintage looked solar, any idea of preserving the freshness was extremely welcome, as well as when those in regards of managing the soil work, scratching, reflection on the need to trimming, everything was important. The weight of the berries was important. While searching for maturity, it was just as much important find the concentration in the berries. We were impatiently waiting for the beautiful September and the finish of great vintage.The fruits were ripe, slightly acidic and easy to taste. The drought of July alone could have burned the acids and the plant while the moderation of the month of August provide the freshness and classicism. No hardness, no exoticism, perfect extractability of the skins, making us so grateful to have these terroirs, to have the luxury of being able to conduct smooth vinifications, to reveal wines identity and its contemporary character.

After a mild and humid winter, the arrival of spring, although slow, allows an explosion of vegetation and the vines developp in a regular manner. All the buds explode at the same time, inviting to make the first prognoses: it is a fruity vintage, becoming a true gift after two vintages marked by little productivity. We will cut ceveral grapes, and even too many, according to some the opinions.In May, temperatures remain low throughout the month and slow down the growth.Regular rains and persistent cold do not allow the soil to warm up, especially to clayish part of it. It is in the second half of May that symptoms of cold manifest themselves. The tendancy is not changing in June : the cold remaining throughout the month. It is under these fairly dramatic conditions that flowering begins. Very long on the Merlot variety, a little shorter on the Cabernets, the expulsion of flower caps stretches over two weeks offering a fabulous possibility for botrytis intrusion, as this period is the most sensitive. The summery of this 1st of July is depressing. It is already known that the harvest will be small, and the vine is three weeks behind its vegetative cycle. It is enormous. Luckily, the heat settled permanently and gave back hope to the winemakers. The warm and dry days are all linked throughout the month and give a sense of eternity. We now manage to catch up on the delay. July becomes the warmest month of the past twenty years . The month of August was rather beautiful. The average temperature was not so bad, especially considering the nocturnal freshness. Doubtlessly, the cold nights have slowed down the advances of maturity, but as for its aromatic consistansy, we could not ask for more, as these temperature amplitudes contribute greatly to the complexity of the wine. The beginning o ripening (veraison) starts slowly and stretches in the same way as flowering did earlier over the spring. It will therefore often be necessary to have a tour around the vines in order to check on the homogeneity of the ripening maturity. On average, the grape harvest should have begun around 7th October for the merlots and we could hope for a beautiful late vintage, as those of 2008 or 2011. Well-prepared vines, with broad raisins could perfectly go to its end, to its perfect maturity.

Fresh, wet spring causes a rather late bud break. Until July, rain and humidity in the remain constant. These conditions encourage us to keep the seeds sown in the autumn of 2011. These same conditions allow us to limit the erosion of the soil, to guarantee the lift needed to pass the tools and avoid the excessive vigor. Root work is partcularly beneficial in the spring when their growth is the strongest. Only the very weak parts of the vineyard, which need to be stimulated (eg the top of the plateau), are plowed already in the spring. The frost strikes the Cabernet Francs and the lower parts of the domain close to the wood. The harvest is already promising to be limited in volume in these areas which are already delayed in their cycle.

Disbuffing allows to correct the excess of growth and weight, and are done fairly quickly. Lifting requires some extra effort this year as the vine keeps on growing.

The summer settles after a somewhat difficult flowering, marked by a significant but reasonable mildiou. Flowering takes about 15 to 20 days. In terms of maturity it is as much heterogenical from one grape to the other. Therefore, we decide to intervene in « green » only when it comes to the presentation of harvest at first, putting an accent on the ventilation (leaf removal and suppression of harvest piles). We will wait until the end of the ripening to remove all the delayed grapes. This is now the only way to obtain a harvest with homogeneous maturity. It will be necessary to pass through the vines over and over again until the end of August to remove all the grapes that will have blossomed late.

The terroir of Clarisse is rather cold. Clays retain water and delay maturity of grapes. The rains of mid-September leave us fearing the botrytis, but luckily the work of harvest presentation, soil maintenance and leaf removal do not allow its installation. The skins are thick, the maturity requires time, it is an autumn vintage and must be harvested late.

The year of 2011 will remain in the memories as a generally complicated vintage. We needed to have a bit of clay to make it work through the spring but not too much over the autumn. A vintage that rewards those who have had a good soil management for a long time beforehand, growing vines marked by strong and deep roots. The prophylaxis was sometimes more important than the load, which had to be adapted to the cycle and the quality of the foliage. The cellars had to be well equipped with sorting equipment, in the light of the vintage that could offer a lot of dry grains, wilted grains as well as rotten ones. Working with this vintage, the winemaker also had to consider the fragility of his grapes in order to adapt his vinification in regards of extraction.

The deep red hue, the ruby tints, the density and depth of the colour testify to the full maturity of the fruit. The “in-glass” odor confirms a very dark aromatic palette (huckleberry, dewberry, blackberry) that evolves when swirled towards spicy notes (paprika) and jus de viande. The colour and nose reflect this ‘solar’ vintage : the summer heat has provided a fully mature fruit.

The wine is black, but fresh. The nose is not dominated by alcohol, and not tainted with tiring kirsch and jam notes, as is sometimes the case with very hot vintages.

The spherical-contoured mouth reveals a wide attack, powerful and agreeably fresh. This freshness is expressed in a complex aromatic scale (raspberry, black cherry), combined with the notes stemming from the maturing. The balance comes from a deep acidity that harmonizes the tannic intensity, inherent to these soils, and stretches the wine towards a saline and mineral finish.

The mouth is drawn by these more or less deep clayey soils. Merlots, on these soils, draw the skeleton of the wine by giving it breadth and intensity.

The shape of the wine is spherical and indicates a good maturity, a powerful but coated tannic structure, and the finish ends on a chalky hint conferred by the limestone. This finish expresses a soil, a typicality specific to the area. With regards to the wood, we look for a particular type of barrique/barrel. We favour fine and tight grains and avoid at all costs long and intense aromatizing toasting. By doing so, we obtain a medium that structures the mouth, the skeleton, but also preserves the integrity of the fruit.

Our objectives in the vineyard are therefore to stimulate the mechanisms that allow rots to grow deep in order to try and express through the limestone the freshness and the typicality of the area.