In the mid-19th century, the Château Sénéjac wine estate was already producing the equivalent of 100,000 bottles per year. It changed hands until 1860, when the Comte de Guigné took over and his family ran the château for 139 years. in 1999, Charles de Guigné sold it to the Cordiers, who own a number of Grand Cru Classé wine estates such as Château Talbot. The Cordiers brought the estate up to the level of the best Médoc châteaux. Philippine, Marguerite and Gustave have been running the estate since 2011.
Sénéjac is located halfway between Margaux and Bordeaux, on the clay-gravel ridge of the commune of Pian-Médoc. The gravel allows for efficient drainage. The soil is naturally poor in organic matter and forms the ideal basis for large Cabernet Sauvignon (52 %). The proportion of Merlot is somewhat lower (36 %). There is also Cabernet Franc (8 %) and a hint of Petit Verdot (4 %).
The estate extends over 150 hectares, 41 of which are used as vineyards. The average age of the plants is 35 years and the average planting density is 6,600 vines per hectare.
The estate is committed to an integrated, i.e. environmentally friendly, approach to production. This includes the avoidance of pesticides and soil cultivation that specifically supports microbial life.
Oenologist Eric Boissenot provides support right from the harvest planning stage, when the material from each individual plot is analysed to determine the ideal harvest time. The destemmed grapes are carefully selected in the cellar. Fermentation takes place separately for each parcel over 20 to 30 days in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation then takes place to increase the smoothness of the wines. This is followed by blending of the vintage. The cuvée is then allowed to mature for 12 to 14 months in barriques (30 % of which are new).
photos: Château Sénéjac
