Château Deyrem Valentin

The estate

Deyrem Valentin goes back to 1730 and takes its name from its first proprietor, Valentin Deyrem, who sat on the cantonal council of Margaux; the street outside is still the rue Valentin Deyrem. William Franck, whose Traité sur les vins du Médoc first appeared in 1824, lists Deyrem at Soussans under Valentin Deyrem in 1845, at 20 to 25 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels), and by 1874 his widow held it at Marsac, at 12 tonneaux; after that the name leaves the books. Maurice Blanc bought the estate in 1928, and it still belongs to his grandson Jean Sorge and his family, as Vignobles Jean Sorge. Jean’s daughter Christelle took charge of the winemaking in 1999 and now runs the estate, with her sister Sylvie on the administration, and since 2017 the family has worked with Hubert de Boüard Consulting.

The 13 hectares of Margaux lie on deep Quaternary gravel of the Günz on the Marsac plateau, planted 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot at 8,000 to 10,000 vines a hectare, 30 years old on average, and certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms). Pruning, leaf thinning and picking are all done by hand. The grapes are sorted in the vineyard and again in the cellar, and since 2013 berry by berry; each variety is fermented on its own in temperature-controlled concrete vats before aging in barrel, for 5,900 to 6,300 cases. The family also makes Château Soussans, a Margaux, and Château Valentin, a Haut-Médoc from vines added in 2001 and 2006.

At a glance

Appellation

Margaux

Commune

Soussans

Classification

No classification

Owners

The Sorge family, Vignobles Jean Sorge; the family since 1928

Direction

Christelle Sorge

Consulting

Hubert de Boüard Consulting, since 2017

Vineyard

13 hectares of Margaux; 8,000 to 10,000 vines a hectare, 30 years old on average

Ground

Deep Günz gravel on the Marsac plateau

Grapes

Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 49%, Petit Verdot 1%

Farming

Haute Valeur Environnementale

Cellar

Picked by hand; sorted berry by berry since 2013; concrete vats; aged in barrel

Production

5,900 to 6,300 cases

Wines

Château Deyrem Valentin; Château Soussans; Château Valentin, Haut-Médoc

In history

Under Valentin Deyrem at Soussans in 1845; his widow at Marsac in 1874

Sources: Château Deyrem Valentin, history · Château Deyrem Valentin, from the vine to the bottle · Château Deyrem Valentin, the grand vin · Château Deyrem Valentin, general technical sheet · Château Deyrem Valentin, home