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| Château Haut-Bergey Producer website - Read more about Chateau Haut Bergey
In the 15th century the “Seigneur de la Louvière” and the ”Seigneur d’Olivier” got to work on the reparcelling of agricultural land and so was born ”La maison noble de Pontey” today named CHATEAU HAUT-BERGEY. In 1700 Sir Jean-François de Cresse, a member of parliament of Bordeaux, took it over and used it as his permanent residence. By 1772 the estate stretched over 100 hectares of vineyard. A hundred years later, though the vineyard was abandoned and in 1850 a splendid castle was reconstructed becoming a leisure residence. It was in the middle of the last century the castle returned to the wine growing roots of the past.
In March 1991 Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard acquired CHATEAU HAUT-BERGEY. Granddaughter of a wine merchant and a successful business women, her approach has always been that of a connoisseur appreciating great wine.
It was love at first sight and the promising charm of CHATEAU HAUT-BERGEY encouraged her into a large renovation project whilst respecting the former traditions. Commitment to quality is her main principle.
A naturally exceptional soil
The 28.5 hectares are located in the heart of the village of LEOGNAN, a leading area of Graves region.
At the end of the Tertiary era and during the Quaternary the changing meanderings of the Garonne left a large variety of gravel, pebbles and other stones that constitute the complexity of this exceptional ground. In springtime the temperature of soil rises constantly. During summertime and especially in September the gravel reflects the absorbed heat onto the bunches of grapes, thus improving the process of ripening.
The vineyard of HAUT-BERGEY is well exposed to the south and south-west on slightly sloping grounds, so ensuring natural drainage. The subsoil is composed of clay and chalk streaked with iron-bearing parts that also contribute to the uniqueness and personality of the wines of HAUT-BERGEY.
The red wines and the white wines
The appellation PESSAC-LEOGNAN is the only appellation that has classified red and white wines from the same terroir.
The vineyard of CHATEAU HAUT-BERGEY comprises 26.5 hectares of red grapes and 2 hectares of white grapes.
Every effort is made to make the best wines possible. The red wine is hand-made and great care is given to the selection afterwards. The grapes are transported in small boxes of 20 kg in order to avoid them being squeezed or oxidation. The preparation of the wine is done in a traditional way: every parcel of vines is separately prepared in small vats of stainless steel or wood with integrated hot and cold regulation. The wine is aged in oak barrels for between16 to 18 months according to the vintage.
The white grapes are hand-picked as well, transported in small boxes of 20 kg and are sorted. Traditional methods are applied here as well. The white wine ferments in new barrels and develops on the lees. The frequency of batonnage varies according to the development of the wine. Finally, the white wine is aged in barrels of French oak for between 10 and 12 months.
It is our foremost principle to produce a wine of excellent quality, sparing no efforts to improve our craftsmanship and expertise continuously. Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest" 2019 vintage reports 2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage." 2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman "The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanGraves Vins de Graves (Conseil des Vins de Graves) - Read more about Pessac Leogan Graves and its winesPessac-Léognan Pessac-Leognan reds: Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Soil: Predominantly gravel and sandy rock, with varying proportions of clay and sandstone Surface Area: 1,491 ha
Pessac-Leognan whites: Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon Soil: Gravel and rocks covered with sand, sandstone, and clay Surface Area: 275 ha |
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