Producer Article
Château Haut-Bergey
Last edited on 5/13/2019 by Paul852
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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.
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.