Chateau Verdignan is a stunning property of 150 acres located in the Haut-Medoc along the Gironde Estuary just north of St. Estephe. It is actually known as one of the oldest winemaking estates in the Pauillac area and is certainly the oldest in its more local Saint Seurin de Cadourne. It stands out by the beautiful architecture of its château building, dating back to the 1700’s. The estate remained in the same family from the late 18th century until 1934, a sign that the former owners loved staying at this property steeped in history and with a stunning view.

The vineyard, located just north of the Saint Estephe appellation (about a 10 minute drive from Chateau Calon Segur!) is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc in soils of pure gravel over clay, this vineyard is fawned over by the viticultural team to express the exceptional terroir. Grassing between rows, leaf thinning after flowering and green harvesting are some of the techniques performed in the vineyard prior to hand harvesting the fruit once perfectly ripened.

The work doesn’t stop there as it continues in the vat-room with pumping over, stirring, racking with the length of maceration determined according to the characteristics of each vintage and above all to the style the vintage dictates. The wine is aged in 100% French oak, a third of the barrels new, for 14 months before bottling.

Only two thirds of the production will be kept and upon completion of the alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentations, several tastings are then held in December before the final assembly of the premium wine with their consultants, Jacques and Eric Boissenot. For all of you who may not know, this is the same oenology team that consults Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Margaux among other great wines of the Medoc. Jancis Robinson writes of the Boissenot’s: “They are the Médoc's leading consultant winemakers, responsible for the great majority of the region's famous classed growths, and all the first growths, yet they never court publicity and rarely receive it, so entrenched are they in this, the greatest concentration of fine red wine estates in the world.”

Yet Frédéric Engerer, director of first growth Château Latour and not known for his humility, admits, “I can honestly say that in my view, after working 15 years with them, their value in optimizing the selection of our lots in order to make the best possible assemblage [blend] is very clear.”

There you have it, Jancis and the head guy at Latour both saying you need the Boissenot fam on your team, and Verdignan has them!