Château Magneau

The château

La Brède, the home of Montesquieu, lies in the heart of the Graves, and Château Magneau is one of its old properties. The Ardurats who work it trace their line of winegrowers to before the reign of Henri IV. Jean-Louis and Bruno Ardurats own it, and Jean-Louis directs the vineyard, the winemaking and the aging.

There are more than 40 hectares of vines across La Brède and Saint-Morillon, 25 of white and 16 of red, mostly on deep gravel on well-exposed rises, farmed by reasoned methods under the Terra Vitis scheme. The cellar, more than 1,000 square meters and fully air-conditioned, has stainless steel vats, 2 presses and temperature control, and a new barrel cellar was built. The red, 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, spends 12 months in oak with one third new barrels, the share of new wood set by the vintage. The white, 45% Sauvignon, 40% Sémillon and 15% Muscadelle, ages about 3 months in steel; Cuvée Julien, half Sauvignon and half Sémillon, is made only in barrel and aged 7 months on its lees, 50% in new wood; Plaisir de Magneau is a red from young vines, raised in steel with 3 months in barrel.

At a glance

Appellation

Graves

Commune

La Brède and Saint-Morillon

Classification

No classification

Owners

Jean-Louis and Bruno Ardurats

Direction

Jean-Louis Ardurats

Vineyard

More than 40 hectares, 25 white and 16 red

Soil

Mostly deep gravel on well-exposed rises Terroir of Graves →

Grapes

Red: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Cabernet Franc 5%; white: Sauvignon 45%, Sémillon 40%, Muscadelle 15%

Farming

Reasoned; Terra Vitis

Cellar

More than 1,000 square meters; stainless steel vats; red 12 months in oak, one third new

Wines

Château Magneau, red and white; Cuvée Julien; Plaisir de Magneau