Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac

Identity

Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Saint-Émilion (33330). It is owned by CVBG - Dourthe - Kressmann.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac dates back to the end of the 19th century. Mademoiselle Marie Godeau acquired the Figeac-Lamarzelle property in 1895. In 1903, the current château was completed under the direction of architect Louis-Marie Cordonnier. Following a court ruling in 1910, the wine was marketed under the name Château Lamarzelle Figeac. In 1906, René Bouchart acquired the adjacent Clos Lamarzelle estate.

In 1924, the two estates were merged to form Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac. The property was elevated to Grand Cru Classé status in the first classification of the Crus of Saint-Émilion in 1955, a ranking renewed in 1969 and 1986. Maurice Alloo owned the estate in 1937, Georges Clément in 1955, and Edmond Carrère in 1956.

In 1997, the Parent family acquired the estate and built a circular barrel cellar of contemporary architecture, inaugurated with the 2000 vintage. The estate's management was taken over by Dourthe in 2005. The coat of arms on the labels, introduced with the 2012 vintage, symbolises the three original sharecropper farms and the estate, while recalling the Christian origins of Saint-Émilion.

The estate is certified HVE 3 and Terra Vitis. Viticulture is managed according to the environmental principles of integrated pest management, favouring traditional ploughing, mechanical weeding, and the use of organic and biocontrol products. Practices such as mating disruption and managed cover cropping are implemented. Canopy management includes Guyot Poussard pruning, debudding, secondary shoot removal, leaf thinning, suckering, and green harvesting.

The appellations

Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac produces wines under the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. The estate is also linked to the Montagne Saint-Émilion appellation.

Signature wines

Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac is renowned for wines distinguished by their elegance and finesse. They display a ruby colour and aromatic purity, with delicate tannins. Notes of violet, characteristic of Cabernet Franc, contribute to a fresh, savoury balance. Ageing lasts 12 to 14 months in oak barrels, 30% of which are new and 70% one-wine barrels and older.

Practical information

Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac is located in Saint-Émilion, 33330. The estate offers visits and tastings by appointment. For further information, the estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)5 56 35 53 00 or by fax on +33 (0)5 56 35 53 29. The contact email address is contact@dourthe.com. Visits and tastings take place in the heart of the vineyard, close to the village of Saint-Émilion.

The cellar door is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00, all year round. The estate can accommodate groups and is accessible by coach. English and French are spoken for visitor reception.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard of Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac spans 15 hectares, with an average vine age of 42 years. The soils consist of a silica-clay gravel terrace, also known as the “Graves de Saint-Émilion”. This terroir rests on a subsoil of molasses du Fronsadais and green sandy clays, overlain with browned sandy colluvium, featuring a vein of blue clay. The plots are predominantly silica-gravel.

The grape variety mix comprises 65% Merlot (9.5 hectares) and 35% Cabernet Franc (5.5 hectares). The estate carries out manual harvesting, paced according to plot ripeness, and includes densimetric sorting of the grapes.

Vinification and ageing

Harvesting is carried out by hand, followed by densimetric grape sorting. Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats. The vat room was renovated in 2006 and expanded in 2021. It is equipped with small stainless steel vats, a vibrating destemmer-sorter, and a long sorting table. The barrel cellar, contemporary in design and circular in shape, can accommodate up to 400 barrels. Ageing lasts between 12 and 14 months in barrels, with 30% new oak and 70% one-wine barrels and older.