Château Romer

The estate

Romer belonged to the Montalier family in the 17th century and passed by marriage to the Lur Saluces and then to the de la Myre-Mory. It was a Fargues wine sold as a Preignac one, and William Franck, whose Traité sur les vins du Médoc first appeared in 1824, protested in his edition of 1853 that Fargues held 2 first growths of white wine that ought to be given back to it, Romer under the comte de la Myre-Mory among them. The reason was practical: the wine was carted to the châteaux of Malle and Montalier in Preignac and stamped there, and the list of 1855 followed the stamp.

The heirs divided Romer at the end of the 19th century. Roger Farges bought about 5 hectares in 1911, and his family kept that part, which is Château Romer. From 1977 to 2002 it was farmed under lease by André du Hayot, owner of the other half, until Anne Farges took it back in hand; in 2012 it passed to the Janoueix house.

Of the 6 and a half hectares the estate holds, 3 and a half are in production, at 6,666 vines a hectare, planted to Sémillon with a little Sauvignon and Muscadelle. The grapes are picked by hand in successive selections and the wine spends 12 to 18 months in French oak. There is no second wine and no dry white: Romer makes Romer.

At a glance

Appellation

Sauternes

Commune

Fargues

Classification

Deuxième Cru Classé 1855

Owner

The Janoueix house, since 2012; the Farges family from 1911

Vineyard

3 and a half hectares in production of 6 and a half held; 6,666 vines a hectare

Grapes

Sémillon, with a little Sauvignon and Muscadelle

Harvest

By hand, in successive selections

Cellar

12 to 18 months in French oak

Wines

Château Romer, and nothing else

The division

Divided among the de la Myre-Mory heirs at the end of the 19th century; the other half is Château Romer du Hayot

In history

A Fargues wine stamped at Preignac, and classified under Preignac in 1855

Sources: Maison François Janoueix, Château Romer · INAO, cahier des charges Sauternes · Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855, the classified growths