Château Doisy-Védrines

The estate

The domain begins with a marriage, of Jean-Baptiste de Védrines and Marie de Raymond on May 29, 1704, and the chevaliers de Védrines held it into the 19th century. They built it up piece by piece: an adjoining enclos that had belonged to Coutet came to them when the Filhot château was sold as national property, and a part of Doisy came by marriage, so that when Doisy was divided Védrines had much the largest share, and it still does. The last chevalier held it until about 1840. The Boireau family had the estate by 1868 and kept it, and in 1922 Charles Cocks and Édouard Féret, whose Bordeaux et ses vins was the reference book of the Bordeaux trade, describe 25 hectares in Haut-Barsac making 40 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels), against 15 for Doisy-Dubroca and 8 for Doisy-Daëne.

The Castéja family has owned it for generations. Olivier Castéja is the proprietor, and his son-in-law Guillaume Lefebvre has directed the estate since 2020. In June 2021 it took in the 15 hectares of neighboring Château Pernaud. Some of the buildings date from the 16th century.

The vineyard lies in 1 block on the clay and limestone plateau of Haut-Barsac, at about 6,500 vines a hectare, the vines 30 to 35 years old on average, planted to Sémillon with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle and some old Sauvignon Gris. The grapes are picked by hand in as many passes as the year demands, and the estate has held Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms) at level 3 since 2019. Petit Védrines is the second wine, and Chevalier de Védrines is bottled alongside it.

At a glance

Appellation

Barsac; the wines may also be sold as Sauternes

Commune

Barsac, on the Haut-Barsac plateau

Classification

Deuxième Cru Classé 1855

Owners

The Castéja family; Olivier Castéja

Direction

Guillaume Lefebvre, since 2020

Vineyard

In 1 block; about 6,500 vines a hectare; vines 30 to 35 years old on average; the 15 hectares of Château Pernaud added in June 2021

Ground

Clay and limestone

Grapes

Sémillon with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, and some old Sauvignon Gris

Farming

Haute Valeur Environnementale, level 3, since 2019

Wines

Château Doisy-Védrines; Petit Védrines; Chevalier de Védrines

In history

25 hectares making 40 tonneaux in 1922, the largest of the 3 Doisy

Sources: Commune de Barsac, Château Doisy-Védrines · INAO, cahier des charges Barsac