Château Mercier

The estate

The family’s story at Mercier begins in 1698, when François Créon, its first known generation, owned a plot of vines here. In 1898 Charles Cocks and Édouard Féret, whose Bordeaux et ses vins was the reference book of the Bordeaux trade, listed Guillaume Débande, of the 6th generation, at Mercier among the crus artisans et crus paysans, with 20 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels), and he won a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1900. In 1919 his grandson Emilien Blanchereau worked 4.5 hectares in 35 parcels, which he later left to his own grandson, Philippe Chéty. Philippe and Martine Chéty settled at Mercier in 1971 and made their first bottlings for direct sale in 1975. Their son Christophe joined in 1994, the 13th generation, and took over the management in 2010; his sister Isabelle joined in 2012, after 17 years in international luxury hotels.

The estate now has 48 hectares, on a deep, lean soil of clay and gravel, on slopes facing south and west, planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec on rootstocks of low vigor; the wines are always blends. The family joined the FARRE reasoned farming network in 1994, has held ISO 14001 since 2011, Terra Vitis since 2016 and Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms), level 3, and was certified organic in 2024. It also makes Château La Cottière at Teuillac, bought by Martine’s father in 1956; Clos du Piat, from vines Christophe bought at Gauriac in 1999; Château Jean de la Monge at Bourg; and, since 2015, Château Bellevue at Plassac, in Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux. The Cuvée Prestige is made in concrete vats and aged 12 months in French oak from coopers such as Taransaud, Ermitage and Seguin Moreau; the Cuvée Traditionnelle is made in concrete vats. Beside them come 2 whites, Graine Blanche and Besoin de tendresse; L’Atmosphère, without added sulfur; and Amphorae, from Château Bellevue, aged 12 months in hand-thrown clay amphorae of 140 liters. There is a gîte, with bed and breakfast rooms.

At a glance

Appellation

Côtes de Bourg

Commune

Saint-Trojan

Classification

No classification

Owners

The Chéty family: Philippe, Martine, Christophe and Isabelle Chéty

Direction

Christophe Chéty, since 2010

Vineyard

48 hectares

Ground

Deep, lean clay and gravel; slopes facing south and west

Grapes

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec

Farming

Certified organic in 2024; ISO 14001 since 2011; Terra Vitis since 2016; Haute Valeur Environnementale, level 3

Cellar

Concrete vats; Cuvée Prestige 12 months in French oak barrels

Wines

Cuvée Prestige; Cuvée Traditionnelle; Graine Blanche; Besoin de tendresse; L’Atmosphère; Un Frère Une Soeur

The house

Also Château La Cottière, Clos du Piat, Château Jean de la Monge; Château Bellevue, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux

In history

The family at Mercier since 1698; Guillaume Débande, 20 tonneaux, in 1898

Sources: Château Mercier, the estate · Château Mercier, history · Château Mercier, climate, soil and grapes · Château Mercier, certifications · Château Mercier, organic conversion · Château Mercier, wines · Château Mercier, Château Mercier wines · Château Mercier, Amphorae · Château Mercier, family photos · Syndicat des Côtes de Bourg, Château Mercier