Château Villa Bel-Air

The estate

The Cazes family, of Château Lynch-Bages, bought Villa Bel-Air in 1988; it has since left their hands, and today it belongs to the Armand Ballande family. The vineyard lies at Saint-Morillon, in the heart of the Graves, on Garonne gravel over a subsoil of clay and clay-limestone.

There are 32 hectares of red, planted 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, and 11.5 hectares of white, 65% Sauvignon and 35% Sémillon. The grapes ferment at controlled temperature; the red ages 12 to 15 months in barrel and the white 3 to 4 months in oak and vat.

At a glance

Appellation

Graves

Commune

Saint-Morillon

Classification

No classification

Owners

The Armand Ballande family; before them the Cazes family, from 1988

Vineyard

32 hectares of red, 11.5 of white

Ground

Garonne gravel over clay and clay-limestone

Grapes

Red: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Cabernet Franc 10%; white: Sauvignon 65%, Sémillon 35%

Cellar

Red 12 to 15 months in barrel; white 3 to 4 months in oak and vat

Wines

Château Villa Bel-Air, red and white

Sources: Syndicat viticole des Graves, Château Villa Bel-Air · Famille JM Cazes, key dates · Famille JM Cazes, the estates · Château Villa Bel-Air, 2013 white technical sheet