Château Artigue

Identity

Château Artigue is a family winegrowing estate, currently under the management of Antoine and Alexandre Artigue, representing the fourth generation of winegrowers. The main estate, Château La Guillaumette, is located in the commune of Loupes, in Gironde. Additional properties include Château des Laudes, Château Galeteau and Château Beaulé, the latter situated in Pompignac.

History and philosophy

The estate's history began in 1895 with their great-grandfather, who completed the first harvest on 8 September of that year. Vinification was carried out in a cellar equipped with two masonry concrete vats of 6,000 litres each.

Following the Second World War, around 1945, Antonin, the grandfather, developed the viticulture and improved production quality. He also modernised the facilities by building a new cellar fitted with concrete vats with capacities of 2 x 9,000 litres, 5 x 6,000 litres and 2 x 3,000 litres. In 1974, his son, Bernard Artigue, took over the family property, which then comprised 5 hectares of vines. He continued the estate's expansion by introducing new equipment and building the current vinification cellar.

Today, the estate is dedicated to environmentally friendly practices, using organic farming and thorough soil cultivation. This philosophy is reflected in the production of cuvées, including single-plot selections, crafted to express the terroir to the fullest.

Appellations

The estate produces wines under several appellations, including Saint-Émilion Grand Cru for Château des Laudes and Château Galeteau, as well as Bordeaux Supérieur and Bordeaux rosé for Château La Guillaumette. Some cuvées are also marketed under protected designations of origin.

Practical information

The estate address is 2 les Faures, 33370 Loupes. The estate can be reached by telephone on +33 (0)5 56 72 48 93 and +33 (0)6 08 05 48 01.

Tours and tastings are available daily at the Château La Guillaumette boutique without prior appointment. For Château des Laudes, visits are by appointment via the dedicated website. The estate also offers wine tourism services, including estate tours and direct wine sales. Château Beaulé, situated in Pompignac, offers a reception hall for hire accommodating over one hundred guests, featuring a panoramic terrace overlooking the vineyards and woods. This venue is ideal for a wide range of events including weddings, christenings, seminars, corporate meals and retirement parties.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The main vineyard, Château La Guillaumette, is set on the rolling hillsides of the Entre-deux-Mers, with soils composed of gravel and clay-limestone. For Château des Laudes, the terroir is characterised by a clay-limestone plateau. The grape varieties planted include Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The estate practises organic farming, placing particular emphasis on soil management. A portion of the production is dedicated to single-plot cuvées.

Flagship cuvées

The estate offers a range of red, white and rosé wines under the Château La Guillaumette label. Among the special bottlings, Cuvée Générations from Château La Guillaumette is distinguished by an approach inspired by ancestral vinification methods. This wine is characterised by an aromatic palate and an intense red colour.

The wines of Château des Laudes, in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, are crafted from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinification and ageing

For Château des Laudes, the grapes are harvested by hand with meticulous sorting. Vinification takes place in barrels, with gentle extraction via punching down (pigeage). Ageing for these wines, as well as for certain Saint-Émilion Grand Cru selections, is carried out in French oak barrels, with the proportion of new oak ranging from 70% to 100%.

The estate still uses its historic cellar to blend its cuvées, complementing its modern facilities.