Château Les Barraillots

The château

Les Barraillots was born in 1928, among the classed growths of the Margaux appellation, and it is still a family estate, now in the hands of Yannick Martin-Brunet: one of the few Crus Artisans of Margaux, ranked for the vintages 2022 to 2026. The 7 hectares lie on poor, gravelly soil at Margaux-Cantenac, planted 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, 40 years old on average. The farming is old-fashioned: the vineyard is plowed, never weeded with chemicals and fed with cattle manure, and it is certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms).

The grapes are picked by machine and stay 5 to 7 weeks on their skins, a long maceration, and the wine ages 12 months. There is one wine only, a Margaux, about 12,000 bottles a year, and visitors are received free all year round.

At a glance

Appellation

Margaux

Commune

Margaux-Cantenac

Classification

Cru Artisan du Médoc, vintages 2022 to 2026

Owner

Yannick Martin-Brunet; a family estate

Vineyard

7 hectares; vines 40 years old on average

Soil

Poor, gravelly Terroir of Margaux →

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 40%, Petit Verdot 10%

Farming

Plowed, no chemical weedkillers, cattle manure; Haute Valeur Environnementale

Cellar

Picked by machine; 5 to 7 weeks on the skins; 12 months of aging

Production

About 12,000 bottles a year