Château Baret

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Château Baret, a family-owned winegrowing estate in Pessac-Léognan, produces red and white wines across 27 ha. Certified HVE 3 since 2018, it focuses on traditional soil tillage and early harvesting.

En terre de Pessac-Léognan
© Château Baret

Identity

Château Baret is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Villenave-d'Ornon. It is owned by the Ballande family. Mr Charles Éric Pasquiers serves as the estate manager, agricultural engineer, and oenologist. The estate also benefits from the oenological consulting of Mr Christophe Ollivier.

History and philosophy

The 18th-century chartreuse of Château Baret was acquired in 1867 by the Ballande family, who were wine merchants at the time. Over the last twenty years, the vineyard, vat house, and ageing cellars have undergone extensive renovations. The estate has been certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) Level 3 since the 2018 vintage.

Appellations

Château Baret produces wines under the Pessac-Léognan appellation for both its red and white wines.

Practical information

Château Baret is located at 43 Avenue des Pyrénées, 33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France.

The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)9 82 56 87 71 or +33 (0)6 88 07 42 97. The email address is technique@lechateaubaret.com.

Visitors are welcome for tours and tastings by appointment, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The estate offers disabled access. Tours can be conducted in French and English.

Find out more

Official estate website

Frequently asked questions

Who is the current owner of Château Baret and where is the wine estate located?
Château Baret is owned by the Ballande family. The estate is located in the commune of Villenave-d'Ornon, with its address at 43 Avenue des Pyrénées, 33140 Villenave d'Ornon, France. The Ballande family acquired this 18th-century chartreuse in 1867. Over the last twenty years, extensive renovation work has been carried out across the vineyard, vat house, and cellars.
What is the surface area of Château Baret's vineyard and which grape varieties are grown?
The Château Baret vineyard extends over 27 hectares. Of these, 24 hectares are dedicated to red grape varieties, while 3 hectares are planted with white grape varieties. The red plantings comprise 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The white grape plantings consist exclusively of Sauvignon.
What are the viticultural practices and certifications at Château Baret?
Château Baret is committed to environmentally friendly viticultural practices, as demonstrated by its Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) Level 3 certification achieved since the 2018 vintage. Soil management is conducted entirely via traditional ploughing, promoting deep root penetration. Vine vigour is carefully regulated, notably through organic amendments for the whites and green harvesting to manage yields for the reds.
How are the vinification and ageing carried out for Château Baret wines?
For white wines, the harvest is manual and very early, carried out in the morning to retain freshness. Ageing takes place in oak barrels on lees for 8 to 10 months. For red wines, the picking date is also selected among the earliest, guided by berry tasting. Vinification includes destemming, crushing, and gentle extraction during alcoholic fermentation, followed by post-fermentation maceration for three weeks to a month. Barrel ageing lasts around 12 months, with the percentage of new oak adjusted annually.

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard of Château Baret covers 27 hectares, with 24 hectares planted with red grape varieties and 3 hectares with white grape varieties. Soil management is carried out entirely through traditional ploughing, encouraging the vines to develop deep root systems. Vigour in the white plots is fine-tuned with organic inputs, whilst yields in the red plots are carefully managed through green harvesting.

The red grape varieties comprise 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. For the whites, the plantings are 100% Sauvignon.

Flagship cuvées

The estate produces two principal wines: Château Baret Rouge and Château Baret Blanc.

For Château Baret Blanc, the grapes are harvested by hand in the morning to retain optimal freshness, making it one of the earliest harvests in Bordeaux. Vinification and ageing are tailored each year to showcase the character of the vintage, with 8 to 10 months of ageing in barrels on fine lees.

For Château Baret Rouge, the harvest date is likewise chosen among the earliest, determined by tasting the berries to ensure full phenolic ripeness. Vinification systematically includes destemming and crushing, along with gentle extraction during alcoholic fermentation, followed by a post-fermentation maceration lasting three weeks to a month. The wine is aged in oak barrels for approximately 12 months, with the proportion of new oak adjusted according to the specifics of each vintage.

Vinification and ageing

Harvesting of the white grape varieties is conducted by hand and early in the season, carried out in the morning to preserve fresh acidity. Following tailored vinification, ageing takes place in oak barrels on lees for 8 to 10 months. Bottling is carried out before the summer, once the wine has stabilised.

For the red wines, harvesting is also early, with picking dates set after rigorous grape tastings. The grapes are systematically destemmed and crushed. Extraction is kept gentle throughout alcoholic fermentation, followed by a maceration period of three weeks to a month. Ageing takes place in oak barrels for around 12 months, with the share of new oak adjusted each year. The red wines are fined and filtered before bottling, which occurs between eighteen months and two years after harvest.

Appellations
Pessac-Léognan, Graves
Commune
Villenave-d'Ornon
Wine region
Graves & Sauternais
Owner
Famille Ballande
Technical direction
Pierre Charritte
Surface area
27 ha
Certifications
HVE
Grape varieties
Merlot 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Sauvignon 100%

Practical information

Address
43 Avenue des Pyrénées, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon
Contact form
Contact the estate
Opening hours
Ouvert du lundi au vendredi de 9h00 à 12h00 et de 13h00 à 17h00.
Visits
Visite et dégustation sur rendez-vous du lundi au vendredi

Location

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