Château Branas Grand Poujeaux

The château

Branas Grand Poujeaux shares the Grand Poujeaux plateau with 2 of the best-known names of Moulis, and sits between them: Château Poujeaux on one side, Château Chasse-Spleen on the other. Justin Onclin bought it in 2002. The wine is made by a team headed by Arjen Pen, a winemaker since 2005 in Bordeaux and South Africa, who also manages the operating company, Château Branas Grand Poujeaux, whose other partners are Hindrik Gommer and H. Gommer Holding B.V.; Hubert de Boüard has advised the estate since 2012.

The soil is Garonne gravel of the Günz period over calcareous sediments, planted 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot and certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms) at level 3 since 2018. The grapes are picked by hand into crates, sorted 2 times and brought by gravity into temperature-controlled wooden and stainless steel vats of different sizes, and the malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The wine ages in barrels of 225 liters, with the share of new oak set each year. The second wine, Les Eclats de Branas Grand Poujeaux, is made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

At a glance

Appellation

Moulis-en-Médoc

Commune

Moulis-en-Médoc, on the Grand Poujeaux plateau

Classification

No classification

Owner

Justin Onclin, since 2002

Operator

Château Branas Grand Poujeaux: Arjen Pen, manager; Hindrik Gommer and H. Gommer Holding B.V., partners

Direction

Arjen Pen, at the head of the team

Consultant

Hubert de Boüard, since 2012

Soil

Garonne gravel of the Günz period over calcareous sediments Terroir of Moulis →

Grapes

Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Petit Verdot 5%

Farming

Haute Valeur Environnementale, level 3, since 2018

Cellar

Picked by hand; sorted 2 times; gravity; wooden and stainless steel vats; barrels of 225 liters

Wines

Château Branas Grand Poujeaux; Les Eclats de Branas Grand Poujeaux