Vieux Château Gaubert

The estate

In 1796 the Gaubert family of Portets, grown rich in maritime trade, had the architect Gabriel Durand, who had worked with Victor Louis on the Grand Théâtre of Bordeaux, enlarge their country house into a great wine estate. The house was later threatened with demolition, and it was saved when it was listed as a historic monument and Dominique Haverlan bought it in 1988. He rebuilt the whole domain and replanted more than 25 hectares with his own hands. It is the flagship of Vignobles Haverlan, whose other estates are Château de la Brède, Château Haut-Pommarède and Château Grand Bourdieu in the Graves and Château Pontey-Lamartine and Château la Prade in Pessac-Léognan. His son Romain, an agricultural engineer, joined him in 2018.

The vines grow on lean, dry, very stony gravel over deep clayey gravel, at 8,500 vines a hectare, and have been certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value, the French state’s environmental certification for farms) since the 2018 vintage. The red, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, is destemmed and fermented at controlled temperature, each vat tasted every day; the white, 50% Sémillon and 50% Sauvignon, is pressed gently, fermented cool and aged 6 months on its lees in oak barrels renewed every 3 years. The estate makes about 50,000 bottles of red and 25,000 of white, and the range also includes Benjamin de Vieux Château Gaubert, a rosé, Villa Gaubert, and a Réserve in Pessac-Léognan.

At a glance

Appellation

Graves

Commune

Portets

Classification

No classification

Owner

Dominique Haverlan, since 1988

Direction

Dominique Haverlan, joined by his son Romain in 2018

Vineyard

More than 25 hectares replanted from 1988; 8,500 vines a hectare

Ground

Very stony dry gravel over deep clayey gravel

Grapes

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 50%; white: Sémillon 50%, Sauvignon 50%

Farming

Haute Valeur Environnementale since the 2018 vintage

Cellar

White 6 months on its lees in oak, barrels renewed every 3 years

Production

About 50,000 bottles of red and 25,000 of white

Wines

Vieux Château Gaubert, red and white; Benjamin de Vieux Château Gaubert; Villa Gaubert, rosé

The house

Vignobles Haverlan: also Château de la Brède, Château Haut-Pommarède and Château Grand Bourdieu, Graves; Château Pontey-Lamartine and Château la Prade, Pessac-Léognan

Sources: Vignobles Haverlan, the history · Vignobles Haverlan, Vieux Château Gaubert · Vignobles Haverlan, winemaking at Vieux Château Gaubert · Vignobles Haverlan, the vineyards · Syndicat viticole des Graves, Vieux Château Gaubert · Bordeaux Graves Sauternes tourism, Vieux Château Gaubert · Vignerons Indépendants d’Aquitaine, Vignobles Haverlan