Château Haut-Bergey Red

History

The origins of Château Haut-Bergey date back to the 15th century. The lords of La Louvière and Olivier proceeded to regroup their lands and created a new fiefdom, the Mayne de Ponteil, which constitutes the initial nucleus of Haut-Bergey. Close to the present site of the castle, the noble house of Ponteil stood under the Ancien Régime. From century to century, the property belonged to Royal Councillors and Bordeaux merchants who made it their home and continued the wine-making activity. An elegant house was built there in the 19th century, and the property was gradually transformed into a holiday resort. It was not until 1957 that viticulture was reintroduced. In a few years, the property grew to larger dimensions, and the acquisition of part of the neighbouring estate of Bergey allowed it to sign its renewal by adopting the name of Château Haut-Bergey.

In 1991, seduced by the assets of its terroir and the charm of its home, the Garcin family became the owners of the Château. Managed by Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard, the property is undergoing a vast rehabilitation plan in the vineyard and in the cellars, while adopting the bases of an environmentally friendly agriculture. Since 2014, Paul Garcin has been at the head of the estate, which he has decided to run organically and then biodynamically. Between continuity and beginning, a new era of Château Haut-Bergey is taking shape.

Terroir

The fragmentation of the terroir offers a great diversity of soils (gravel, sand, clay) and exposures. This allows the implantation of all the emblematic Bordeaux grape varieties on the property.
The vineyard of the estate is composed of 6 small islands located in the heart of the village of Léognan, on the gravelly hilltops drawn by the old bed of the river crossing the village, the Eau Blanche. The vineyard is composed of 41 hectares of vines with an average age of 20 years. Some parcels reach 60 years of age. The 2 hectares of white grape varieties are planted with 82% Sauvignon Blanc and 18% Semillon. The 42 hectares of red vines are planted with 43% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec.

After an initial switch to organic farming in 2015, Château Haut-Bergey has been run using biodynamic methods since the 2016 vintage. Under the impulse of Paul Garcin, the choice of this particular way was made through experience, following the meeting of convinced winemakers, whose wines reflected the typicity of the terroirs.
Biodynamics was imposed in order to respect soils and plants within a global vision of natural harmonies, and to involve human intervention in a responsible and artisanal way: re-involve the peasant work in the heart of the wine activity.

Tasting

The Château Haut-Bergey red is a wine to keep, aged with respect for the fruit. Large barrels gently protect the delicate tannins and the crisp fruit, reflections of the right maturity of the grapes. The finesse of the red fruits, the depth of the black fruits and the verticality shape give its balance to the Château Haut-Bergey red.