Château Caillou

Identity

Château Caillou is a family-owned winegrowing estate located in the commune of Barsac, in the Gironde department. It is one of the properties classified as Deuxième Cru in 1855 in the classification of Sauternes and Barsac wines. Today, the estate is managed by Sébastien and Jean-Noël Pierre. The estate is also a member of the Fédération des Vignerons Indépendants.

History and Philosophy

Château Caillou has been a family-owned estate since 1909, the year it was acquired by Joseph Ballan. The Ballan-Pierre family is now in its fourth generation of winegrowers. Over the decades, the estate has perpetuated its expertise in the production of Bordeaux wines, particularly sweet wines. Committed to an environmentally friendly approach, Château Caillou practices sustainable viticulture and has obtained level 3 High Environmental Value (HVE) certification.

The Appellations

The Château Caillou produces wines under various Bordeaux appellations :

• Sauternes
• Barsac
• Bordeaux Blanc
• Bordeaux Rouge Supérieur
• Crémant de Bordeaux

Winemaking and Ageing

Harvesting at Château Caillou is carried out manually. For the production of sweet wines in the Sauternes and Barsac appellations, the method of successive 'tries' is applied, allowing only the grape berries affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) to be harvested at their optimal ripeness. Wines intended for the Château Caillou Grand Cru cuvée are aged in barrel.

Practical Information

Château Caillou is open to visitors and offers tastings and various wine tourism activities.

• Address: 9 Caillou, 33720 Barsac
• Telephone: 05.56.27.16.38
• Email: contact@chateaucaillou.com
• Opening Hours:
  • Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM-12:30 PM / 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
  • Weekends and public holidays: by appointment
  • Annual closure: From 20th December to 2nd January
• Tours and Tastings: The estate offers vineyard tours, barrel cellar visits, picnics in the vineyards, apéro-concerts (aperitif concerts) and tastings of dry white and sweet wines, as well as gourmet tours with wine and cheese pairings. Tours can be guided in French, English, Spanish, and Russian.
• Sales: On-site and online sales.
• Additional Services: Children's area.

Find out more

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The Château Caillou vineyard spans 13 hectares in a single block, located on the clay-limestone plateau of Haut-Barsac. This terroir is characterised by a subsoil of clay-limestone with asteria fossils, covered by a layer of clayey sand and scattered with fine gravel on the surface. The average age of the vines is around 50 years, and the estate includes plots of century-old vines. The grape varieties are dominated by Sémillon (96%), complemented by Sauvignon Blanc (2%) and Muscadelle (2%). Harvesting is carried out manually, with particular attention paid to the sweet wines, which require successive 'tries' (between two and six per harvest) to select only the botrytised berries.

Flagship Cuvées

The estate offers a diverse range of wines, including:

• Château Caillou Grand Cru: The estate's emblematic sweet white wine, from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. It is renowned for its finesse, minerality, and aromatic complexity.
• Les Tourelles de Caillou: The second sweet wine of Château Caillou, also under the Sauternes appellation.
• Les Murets de Caillou: This cuvée is available as a dry Bordeaux white and a Bordeaux Rouge Supérieur.
• Les Bulles de Caillou: A Crémant de Bordeaux that expresses freshness.
• Myosotis: A cuvée under the Bordeaux appellation.
• Les Érables de Caillou: Another cuvée from the estate, offered as a white wine.
• La Cuvée du Centenaire: A special cuvée celebrating the family's history.
• Le Sec: A dry white wine made from pure Sauvignon.