Château Cormeil-Figeac

The château

René and Lucie, great-grandparents of the present generation, bought the vineyard in 1940, and in the 80 years since, each generation of the family has added a château. Coraline and Victor Moreaud, sister and brother, are the 4th generation. Victor, a landscape architect by training, has taken the vineyard into agroecology: no more plowing, cover crops sown as green manure, about 2,500 trees and shrubs planted in the parcels, and vines grown together with fruit trees, flowers and old vegetables, the practice called culture en joualles. In 2024 the estate took its name from it, Les Joualles de Cormeil-Figeac. Coraline, a teacher for 15 years in priority education areas, runs the guest rooms and the children’s workshops. The estate has been converted to organic farming.

Château Cormeil-Figeac comes from 10 hectares in one block near Pomerol, on clay and limestone, swelling smectite clays and iron crust, planted 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The grand vin (the estate’s first wine) is made from the family’s oldest vines, the ones René and Lucie planted, without sulfites until the aging; it is pressed at the end of maceration in a small traditional vertical press and aged 50% in barrels, new and of 1 wine, and 50% in vat. The family also makes Château Magnan-Figeac and Château Lamarzelle Cormey, and Petit Cormeil and Les Ombres de Cormeil in its natural range.

At a glance

Appellation

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Commune

Saint-Émilion, near Pomerol

Classification

No classification; not in the list of 2022

Owners

The Moreaud family, since 1940; Coraline and Victor Moreaud, the 4th generation

Vineyard

10 hectares in one block

Soil

Clay and limestone, swelling smectite clays, iron crust Terroir of Saint-Émilion →

Grapes

Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 20%

Farming

Organic; agroecology, no plowing, about 2,500 trees and shrubs among the vines

Cellar

Vertical press; 50% in barrels, new and of 1 wine, 50% in vat; no sulfites until the aging

Wines

Château Cormeil-Figeac; Château Magnan-Figeac; Château Lamarzelle Cormey; Petit Cormeil; Les Ombres de Cormeil