Château Charmail

Identity

Château Charmail is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, in the Gironde department. Since November 2021, the estate has been owned by Olivier Goudet and Valérie Liquard, with Bernard d’Halluin holding a 34% minority stake and managing operations until 2025. The technical director is Sébastien Pineau.

History and philosophy

The vineyard of Château Charmail has been documented since the 16th century. The estate changed hands in 2008 when it was acquired by Bernard d’Halluin. In 2021, Château Charmail incorporated neighbouring properties Château Bardis and Château Saint-Paul, marking a new milestone in its development.

Appellations

Château Charmail produces wines under the Haut-Médoc and Médoc appellations. The estate was classified as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2020.

Practical information

Château Charmail is located in Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne. The cellar door is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, by appointment. Tastings at the property are available. The estate offers direct cellar-door and mail-order sales.

General telephone: +33 6 59 21 82 54

Dispatch telephone: +33 6 27 96 88 68

General email: diffusion@chateau-charmail.fr

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard spans approximately 50 hectares in a single contiguous block. The terroir is characterised by Garonne gravel ridges, colluvial deposits, and clay-limestone soils, specifically clayey gravel. The average vine age is around 35 years. The grape varieties comprise 48% Merlot, 30% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. The Merlot is planted on hillside slopes with iron-rich red clay soils, while the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc thrive on the higher parts of the estate, on soils rich in silicate gravel. The Petit Verdot is planted at the bottom of the slope near drainage channels, on moister soils.

Viticultural practices include winter soil tillage with earthing up and unearthing, manual debudding, meticulous leaf removal, and double Guyot pruning (6 to 8 buds per vine). The estate uses both manual and mechanical harvesting. Sheep are used for natural weed control and soil enrichment.

Key cuvées

The flagship cuvée is Château Charmail, a red wine in the Haut-Médoc appellation. Its annual production is approximately 100,000 to 140,000 bottles. Another cuvée produced is Haut-Médoc Tour.

Château Charmail

This red blend is characterised by a harmonious structure and expressive fruit, striking a balance between power and elegance. It is crafted to offer good ageing potential.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification takes place in around thirty temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats. The estate vinifies parcels by grouping grape varieties according to their terroir of origin. Extractions are slow and gentle, carried out at low temperatures. Spontaneous fermentations have been used since 2018. Ageing takes place in French oak barrels (a mix of new and one-year-old oak) for 12 months. Since 2017, approximately 30% of the wine has also been aged in 500-litre concrete eggs to preserve the purity and freshness of the fruit. Blending begins in December. The consulting oenologist is Antoine Medeville.