Château Massereau
Sauternes & Barsac, Bordeaux, France
WHERE
Philippe & Jean-François Chaigneau
WHO
Low intervention
HOW
Cuvée Lola (W)
Graves Rouge (R)
Graves Rouge (R)
Barsac La Pachère (Sw)
Barsac 2011 (Sw)
Barsac 2010 (Sw)
Barsac 2011 (Sw)
Barsac 2009 (Sw)
Barsac 2005 (Sw)
WINES
Philippe Chaigneau and his brother Jean-François bought Château Massereau and it’s 10 hectare estate in 2000 with a view to make sweet and still wines in as low intervention a way as possible - no easy task, as the vines are are mere meters from the Ciron river.
The Barsac-Sauternes is so pure and the fruit, so expressive. They are some of the best sweet wines you’ll find in the area, giving the top Château a run for their money.
The still white, Lola, has a majority of Sémillon, blended with Muscadelle, to make it very expressive and jazzy. The reds are are just very, very well made and offer excellent value with a sensible bit of bottle age, ideal for a winter wine list.
Blanc Sec, Vin de France, Bordeaux
80% Semillon, 20% Muscadelle
13% abv
Very gentle, whole bunch pressing. Fermentation in cement. Lola ages one third in stainless steel, one third in amphora and one third in old Sauternes barriques.
Barsac AOC
85% Sémillon, 15% Muscadelle.
Gravelly, clay-limestone soils. Certified Organic farming with biodynamic practices.
Made from botrytised grapes, this is Sauternes’ unjustly less famous neighbour. Château Massereau is situated right on the banks of the Ciron, a small tributary of the Garonne, and so benefits from the morning mists and humidity so necessary for the onset of noble rot. Philippe Chaigneau does not rush his wines; tiny yields, very long, slow pressing in old-fashioned wooden presses and fermentation and ageing in new oak barrels. Of course, there are no additions (apart from a small amount of sulfur) to Philippe’s Barsac - this is dark amber, marmalade nectar and is showing beautifully now with some extended bottle age.
A luxurious addition to any dinner party or a present that will keep for many years to come.
Graves AOC
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot & Merlot à queue rouge, 10% Petit Verdot
13% abv
Gravelly, clay-limestone soils.
Graves AOC
45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot & Merlot à queue rouge, 10% Petit Verdot
13% abv
Gravelly, clay-limestone soils.
Christmas is sorted!
Barsac AOC
Sémillon, Muscadelle
12.5% abv
Gravelly, clay-limestone soils.
Made from botrytised grapes with indigenous yeasts, very light filtering and the tiniest addition of SO2. Pure, tropical, elegant Barsac at its best.