Château Destieux

Identity

Château Destieux is a family-owned winegrowing estate located in Saint-Hippolyte, in the Gironde department. It is owned by Christian Dauriac. The property also calls upon renowned experts, including Michel Rolland for oenological consulting.

History and philosophy

The Dauriac family has owned Château Destieux since 1971. The estate is steeped in a multi-generational family history. Its name, "Destieux", is a contraction of "Des Yeux" ("From the Eyes"), referring to the sweeping view over the Dordogne valley from the estate.

Château Destieux was promoted to Grand Cru Classé in 2012. The estate also won the Coupe des Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Émilion twice consecutively, notably in 2013. It is currently in conversion to organic farming and is certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE).

The appellations

The plots of Château Destieux are situated in the commune of Saint-Hippolyte and yield wines produced under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.

Practical information

Château Destieux is located at 151 Route Elie de Bétoulaud, 33330 Saint-Hippolyte. Visits and tastings are available by appointment. The estate also welcomes groups and features visitor parking, restroom facilities, and disabled access. French and English are spoken. Direct sales at the estate are available.

Cellar door opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 24 77 44

Email: contact@vignoblesdauriac.com

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Destieux vineyard covers a single continuous block of 8.12 hectares. It is situated on one of the highest points of Saint-Émilion, overlooking the Dordogne valley. The soil is clay-limestone. The vines have an average age of around 50 years, with some dating between 45 and 50 years old in 2010.

Viticultural practices include rigorous pruning, debudding, selective crown suckering, green harvesting (capping yields at 7 to 8 bunches per vine), and progressive leaf thinning at bunch level.

Flagship cuvées

Château Destieux produces a main cuvée, Château Destieux, which is a red wine. It is crafted predominantly from Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine profile is typically characterised by a deep garnet colour, floral notes, and dense fruit aromas, sometimes interwoven with spicy nuances. On the palate, the wines reveal a powerful, silky texture with fine-grained tannins. Average annual production is around 37,000 bottles.

Vinification and ageing

The harvest is carried out by hand at optimum grape ripeness. A double sorting is performed: an initial bunch-by-bunch selection, followed by a berry-by-berry sort. Vinification is parcel-by-parcel. The vat room is equipped with eight temperature-controlled, truncated cone-shaped wooden vats. Cold pre-fermentation maceration (between 5 and 10 °C) may be carried out, followed by alcoholic fermentation with daily punching down of the cap (pigeage). Malolactic fermentation takes place entirely in new French oak barrels.

The wine is aged entirely in new barrels for a period of 12 to 18 months.