Château du Retout

The Haut Médoc Cru Bourgeois Superieur vineyard is located halfway between Margaux and St Julien. After it was hit hard by the phylloxera plague at the end of the 19th century, the Kopp family, owners of Château Retout from the early 1950s to the present day, bought back the old vineyards and, with hard work and a great deal of meticulousness, brought the estate back to the top of the Cru Bourgois classification.

The Cabernet Sauvignon (68.5%), Merlot (24.5%) and Petit Verdot (7%) grape varieties typical of the appellation are cultivated on around 34 hectares. There is also a small parcel of 1.5 hectares planted with white wine grape varieties from various regions of France, producing a very unusual fresh white wine.

The work in the vineyard is very traditional, which means, for example, that only organic fertiliser from their own production (horse manure and biomass from the vineyards) is used and no chemical herbicides or insecticides are used.

The style of the wines is reminiscent of powerful representatives of the neighbours to the north (Pauillac/St. Jukien) and south (Margaux). Dark fruits such as blackberries and blackcurrants predominate. Smooth tannins and a powerful appearance are typical of this long-maturing wine. It is more like a Leoville Barton than a Rauzan Segla.

© Photos: Vinexia.fr