Château Brown

Identity

Château Brown is a winegrowing estate located in Léognan, in Gironde. It is owned by the Mau and Dirkzwager families. Jean-Christophe Mau is the estate manager and winemaker, while Marion Clauzel serves as cellar master. Consultant oenologist Philippe Dulong oversees the white wines.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Brown dates back to the late 18th century. In the 19th century, it was notably owned by John Lewis Brown. In 1994, Bernard Barthe acquired the property. At the end of 2004 (or 2005 depending on sources), the Mau family, in partnership with the Dutch Dirkzwager family, acquired the estate. Château Brown is dedicated to an environmental approach, holding HVE certification and participating in the Bordeaux Wine EMS (SME). The estate actively promotes biodiversity, including replanting hedgerows and trees, installing beehives, bird nesting boxes, and bat nursery roosts. A significant proportion of the estate (45%) is preserved as natural habitats. Vineyard management practices exclude herbicides, insecticides (except for mandatory flavescence dorée control), anti-botrytis treatments, and CMR products.

The appellations

Château Brown produces wines under the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The estate also offers a cuvée under the Bordeaux rosé appellation.

Practical information

Château Brown is located at 5, allée John-Lewis-Brown, 33850 Léognan. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 5 56 87 08 10 and by email at contact@chateau-brown.com. Cellar door sales and tastings are available. The estate shop is open from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm; it is closed on weekends and public holidays.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The estate covers a total area of 60 hectares, of which 31 hectares are planted with vines (26 hectares for reds and 5 hectares for whites). The soils consist of gravel over clay subsoils, with fine gravel for the whites. The average vine age is 22 years. The grape varieties for the red wines are predominantly Cabernet-Sauvignon (53%), Merlot (45%), and Petit Verdot (2%). For the white wines, plantings comprise Sauvignon Blanc (60%) and Sémillon (40%). Harvesting is carried out entirely by hand for both whites and reds, with rigorous selective sorting.

Flagship cuvées

Château Brown produces a flagship red wine and a flagship white wine, both in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The red wines are characterised by a blend of finesse, power, and balance. Blends vary according to vintage, combining Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, and occasionally Petit Verdot. The grand vin blanc is typically crafted from Sauvignon and Sémillon. The estate also produces a limited-edition direct-press rosé, launched in 2012 under the Bordeaux rosé appellation, primarily made from Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot.

The estate’s second wines are Le Colombier de Brown and La Pommeraie de Brown, both under the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Le Colombier de Brown was created in 1994, and La Pommeraie de Brown in 2007. The visual identity of these second wines was refreshed in 2018.

Vinification and ageing

For red wines, vinification is carried out parcel by parcel in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with alcoholic fermentation capped at a maximum of 28°C. There is no crushing or punch-down (pigeage), but rather regular small-volume pump-overs. A warm post-fermentation maceration is carried out, followed by pressing using a JLB vertical press and malolactic fermentation in vats. Ageing takes place in French oak barrels for 12 months, with 40% new barrels and 60% one-wine barrels.

For white wines, vinification begins with gentle pneumatic pressing, followed by cold settling in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in barrels. Ageing is conducted on fine lees in French oak barrels for 8 months, with 50% new barrels and 50% one-wine barrels, accompanied by regular lees stirring (bâtonnage).