Château Carsin

Identity

Château Carsin is a winegrowing estate located in Rions, in the Gironde. It is owned by the Berglund family. Technical management of the vineyard and winemaking are overseen by Nea Berglund.

History and Philosophy

The history of Château Carsin dates back to 1759, the year of its first recorded mention. It became an independent estate in 1805. In 1990, the Finnish Berglund family acquired the property. Organic viticulture began in 2003, and the estate was certified organic by Ecocert in 2022. Château Carsin is committed to traditional polyculture and agroforestry, seeking to diversify its activities well beyond the vineyard.

Appellations

Château Carsin produces wines under several appellations, notably Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes, and Bordeaux blanc.

Winemaking and Ageing

At Château Carsin, the harvest is carried out by hand and followed by meticulous sorting. Fermentations are spontaneous and take place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and open-top fermenters. Each grape variety is vinified and aged separately. Ageing varies across the cuvées, ranging from French oak barrels (new or several wines old) to stainless steel vats, as well as amphorae for specific bottlings. Several wines benefit from ageing on the lees to refine their structure and aromatic expression.

Practical Information

Château Carsin is located at 197 Route des Côtes, 33410 Rions. The cellar is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Tours and tastings are available every day of the year, by appointment only, at a rate of €15 per person. The estate also offers reception rooms accommodating up to 60 guests for dinner, as well as accommodation at Carsin Cottage, which sleeps 6 to 8 people. Events, concerts, and cinema screenings are held regularly. French and English are spoken. Pets are welcome. The estate features an on-site shop, an online boutique, and provides delivery services. Accepted payment methods include American Express, debit/credit cards, cheques, and cash.

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The Château Carsin vineyard spans 18 hectares in production, set within an estate of around fifty hectares that includes parcels of woodland. The soils are predominantly clay-limestone, with certain areas featuring a top layer of gravel. The oldest vines were planted in the 1970s. The estate cultivates a diverse range of grape varieties, comprising 7 hectares of white vines and 11 hectares of red vines. For the whites, there are Sémillon (2.2 ha), Sauvignon Blanc (1.6 ha), and Sauvignon Gris (2.9 ha). Red varieties include Merlot (7.7 ha), Cabernet Franc (1.2 ha), Malbec (0.8 ha), Carmenère (0.8 ha), Petit Verdot (0.1 ha), and Cabernet Sauvignon (0.3 ha). An addition of Grenache (0.7 ha) was noted in 2024. The estate maintains its organic certification and champions environmentally respectful viticultural practices, such as mechanical weed control and home-made compost. Biodiversity is further encouraged with over 120 fruit trees and berry shrubs, a large vegetable garden, hedgerows, flowers, and beehives introduced in 2025.

Flagship Cuvées

Red Wines

The primary red cuvée, Cuvée Noire, is crafted from a blend of six Bordeaux grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere. This wine is characterised by 12 to 18 months of ageing in French oak barrels (2 to 5 years old), with no fining or filtration.

Le Rouge de Carsin is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. It benefits from partial ageing in oak barrels (2 to 5 years old) and stainless steel vats.

A single-varietal Carmenère cuvée, aged in amphora, is also produced in limited quantities.

White Wines

Le Blanc de Carsin is a dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. It is aged on its fine lees in stainless steel vats for 3 to 4 months.

The signature cuvée L'Etiquette Grise, dating back to 2002, is a still white wine crafted entirely from Sauvignon Gris, fermented and aged in oak barrels. A Bordeaux blanc cuvée, blended from Sémillon (70%) and Sauvignon (30%), is aged on its lees with 15% in barrels for ten months.

Rosé Wines

Le Rosé de Carsin is a dry rosé crafted from Merlot and Malbec. It is aged on its fine lees in stainless steel vats for 3 to 4 months.