Château de la Rivière

Identity

Château de La Rivière is a winegrowing estate located in La Rivière, in the Gironde. It is currently owned by the investment fund Global Food Investments (GFI), with Sébastien Long as president. Mano Deville is the cellar master and Xavier Buffo serves as managing director.

History and Philosophy

The château, whose main building dates back to the 16th century, was redesigned in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. Gaston de l'Isle is recorded as the founder of the estate. Over time, the property has seen various owners, including Jacques Borie in the 1960s and Jean Leprince from 1994. In 2003, the Grégoire family acquired it. In 2013, the estate became the property of the Chinese group Bolian (Brilliant Group). Since then, the Global Food Investments (GFI) fund has been the owner.

Appellations

Château de La Rivière produces wines under the Fronsac appellation. The estate also crafts wines under the Bordeaux appellation, specifically Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, and Bordeaux Clairet. It produces Crémant de Bordeaux as well.

Practical Information

Château de La Rivière is located in La Rivière, 33126. The telephone number is +33 5 57 55 56 56 and the email address is info@chateau-de-la-riviere.com. The boutique cellar is open Monday to Saturday, year-round, from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 14:30 to 16:30. The estate offers on-site tastings. Guided tours allow visitors to discover the underground cellars and the estate grounds (chapel, Salle d’Armes, Bain des Dames), concluding with a tasting of three wines. Guest rooms (chambres d'hôtes) are available on site, along with dining options. Pushchairs may encounter difficulties in the cellars; a baby carrier is recommended for the visit.

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The vineyard of Château de La Rivière covers nearly 65 hectares, forming part of an estate spanning approximately 100 hectares. The average vine age is around 40 years. The terroir consists of clay-limestone soils. The red grape varieties are predominantly Merlot (84%), complemented by Cabernet-Sauvignon (9%), Cabernet franc (5%), and Malbec (2%). For white wines, the plantings consist of Sauvignon blanc (67%) and Sauvignon gris (33%). Harvesting is carried out both by hand and mechanically. The estate also features vast underground galleries—former quarries—extending over 25 km and covering an area of 8 hectares.

Flagship Cuvées

The estate offers several cuvées, including the red Château de La Rivière (Fronsac), crafted with fifteen months of barrel ageing. The Aria cuvée is a 100% Merlot wine, characterised by eighteen months of barrel ageing following an extended vinification in wooden vats and malolactic fermentation in barrels. Prince de la Rivière is another cuvée, aged in oak for around six months. The estate also produces Le Lion de la Rivière, predominantly Merlot-based. In white, Château de La Rivière is a pure Sauvignon blend (two-thirds Sauvignon blanc, one-third Sauvignon gris), with a quarter of the wine aged in oak barrels. In Clairet, Château de La Rivière is primarily composed of Merlot (80%), with a portion (20%) aged in new oak barrels and the remainder in vat. Finally, the estate produces a sparkling wine, Extra-brut Le Bain des Dames, from black grape varieties (Merlot and Cabernet franc).

Vinification and Ageing

Vinification for red wines includes ageing for up to fifteen months in oak for the Fronsac. For the Aria cuvée, there is an extended vinification in wooden vats, followed by malolactic fermentation in oak and eighteen months of ageing in new oak barrels. For white wines, a quarter of the volume is aged in oak barrels. The clairet benefits from partial ageing (20%) in new oak barrels, with the remainder kept in vat.