The Terroirs

The Estate

4 0 h e c t a r e s

We are located in Pomport, in the Dordogne, in the heart of the Monbazillac appellation, on one of its highest plateaux (175m). Just south of Bergerac and barely 50 kilometres east of Saint-Émilion, the estate spans 40 hectares spread across three separate plots.

The Barouillet

P o m p o r t

Pomport, surrounding the estate, an island of 26 hectares, the undisputed kingdom of whites. Here we craft our sparkling wines, dry whites, medium-sweets and luscious sweet wines, drawn from soils of calcareous clay formed by alternating layers of lacustrine limestone and molasse, hallmark of this vineyard. Average planting density runs at 5,000 vines per hectare, with an average vine age of 50 years. The grape varieties are wonderfully diverse, we grow every cépage authorised within the appellation, plus a few surprises of our own. Expect to find: Sémillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Gris and even Rosé, Chenin, Ondenc and Ugni Blanc, but also Chardonnay, and Grenache Blanc, Gris and Noir.

"At the bottom of the wine lies a soul."

– Théodore de Banville

vignes barouillet à pomport en périgord
The Barouillet

M e s c o u l e s

Across the communes of Mescoules and Pomport, 10 hectares of red varieties enjoy fine east-west exposure on shallow clay-limestone soils. The average planting density is 5,000 vines per hectare, with an average vine age of around 30 years. The grape varieties include the regional classics: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. We have also done extensive work on indigenous grape varieties of the region and planted Mérille (also known as Périgord), one of the only truly native varieties of the Dordogne. We also grow Fer Servadou (or Braucol), found throughout the South-West. More recently, we have planted some more unexpected varieties for the region, Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Poulsard, driven by a personal love of light, fresh wines.

"Wine is the mirror of man."

– Alcée de Mytilène

The Barouillet

P é c h a r m a n t

4 hectares in Pécharmant on the commune of Lembras just north of Bergerac. Here we have a second winemaking cellar set right in the middle of the vines, allowing us to process the harvest with the utmost speed. The exposure is due south on a gentle slope, and the terroir is a true mosaic, sections of rounded sandstone pebbles and flint, others of sandy clay, all resting on a base of white clay and "tran" (the iron-rich clay that is the signature of Pécharmant's finest terroirs). Planting density stands at 5,500 vines per hectare, with an average vine age of 30 years. The encépagement is shared between Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, three of the four sole varieties permitted within the appellation.

Pécharmant