Château La Tessonnière

The château

The name comes from the tessoun, the Gascon word for a badger’s burrow, and the badger is still the estate’s emblem. Cédric Colemyn took the family estate over in 1995, after his parents, his grandfather and his great-grandfather, and it has carried the name Cru Artisan since 1997; it is a Cru Artisan du Médoc for the vintages 2022 to 2026. The 18.3 hectares lie at Civrac-en-Médoc and Bégadan, on slopes of clay and limestone, planted 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. The estate has been certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms) at level 3 since 2019 and is working toward organic farming.

There are 3 reds, and much of what separates them is the vessel. Château la Tessonnière ages 18 months in vat; in 2023 it was 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Le Fleuron, of the same blend, spends 12 months in barrel. Le Bois du Roi, 50% Merlot and 50% Petit Verdot from vines 100 years old, ages 12 months in terracotta amphorae, about 30 hectoliters a year. In all, the estate makes about 130,000 bottles.

At a glance

Appellation

Médoc

Communes

Civrac-en-Médoc and Bégadan

Classification

Cru Artisan du Médoc, vintages 2022 to 2026

Owner

Cédric Colemyn, since 1995, the 4th generation

Vineyard

18.3 hectares

Soil

Clay and limestone slopes Terroir of Médoc →

Grapes

Merlot 45%, Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Petit Verdot 5%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Malbec 2%

Farming

Haute Valeur Environnementale, level 3, since 2019

Cellar

The château 18 months in vat; Le Fleuron 12 months in barrel; Le Bois du Roi 12 months in amphorae

Production

About 130,000 bottles

Wines

Château la Tessonnière; Le Fleuron de la Tessonnière; Le Bois du Roi