Château Haut Selve

Identity

Château Haut Selve is located in the commune of Saint-Selve, in Gironde. The property is owned by Vignobles Lesgourgues, with Arnaud and Denis Lesgourgues as proprietors. Patrick Soye serves as vineyard manager and cellar master, and Jean-Sébastien Charles is the estate manager. The operating company is SCA du Château Haut Selve. The vat room was designed by architect Sylvain Debuisson (or Sylvain Dubuisson).

History and philosophy

The creation of Château Haut Selve between 1993 and 1994 was a project spearheaded by Jean-Jacques, Arnaud and Denis Lesgourgues. It involved planting a vineyard on a gravel terroir of acknowledged potential. The Lesgourgues family acquired the property in 1993. Historically, the estate, which belonged to an Austrian owner, was seized after 1918 and remained abandoned before being revived.

Château Haut Selve holds several environmental certifications: HVE Level 3 since 2018, TerraVitis since 2018, and Cultivons Demain since 2020. The estate practices sustainable viticulture, with plot-by-plot vigour management, debudding in May, and both manual and mechanical desuckering. Soil management relies on green cover crops (faba beans, peas, mustard) and mechanical inter-row tillage, without chemical herbicides.

The appellations

Château Haut Selve produces wines under the Graves appellation. It also offers wines under the Vin de France designation.

Practical information

Château Haut Selve is located at 3, chemin du Port, 33650 Saint-Selve. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 5 57 94 09 22 or by email at m.burgaud@maisonleda.fr.

Tastings and on-site sales are available, with visits by appointment only.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Haut Selve vineyard covers 43 to 45 hectares. It is established on deep gravel terroirs, sandy-gravel soils, and clayey gravel over limestone. The average vine age is 23 years for the whites and 25 years for the reds.

The red grape varieties comprise Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, with an overall proportion of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon across the red vineyard. The white vineyard is planted with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a breakdown of 50% Sauvignon, 40% Sémillon and 10% Sauvignon Gris. Planting density ranges from 5,500 vines per hectare for Merlot to 6,000 vines per hectare for Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvesting is carried out both mechanically and by hand. The estate does not purchase any outside grapes. The vineyard and winemaking consultant is Derenoncourt Vignerons Consultants.

Flagship cuvées

Château Haut Selve offers several cuvées, including the Grands Vins “Château Haut Selve Rouge” and “Château Haut Selve Blanc”, as well as the “Les Acacias”, “Sednové” and “Rouge-Gorge” cuvées.

Château Haut Selve Rouge is crafted from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, grown on sandy-gravel soils over deep gravel. The 2022 vintage is composed of 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine is characterised by spicy and fruity notes, with velvety tannins after ageing.

Château Haut Selve Blanc is a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, planted on sandy-gravel soils. The 2024 vintage is a blend of 54% Sémillon and 46% Sauvignon Blanc. This wine reveals aromas of citrus, tropical fruit and white flowers, with a mineral touch and subtle oak.

The Les Acacias cuvée is predominantly composed of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from deep gravel soils. The 2022 vintage is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas the 2020 vintage was 100% Merlot.

The Sednové cuvée, produced with no added sulphites, is blended from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2022 vintage is made up of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Rouge-Gorge cuvée is a 100% Merlot wine sourced from clay-gravel soils on a late-ripening terroir, with an alcohol content of 11.5%.

An exceptional cuvée, Château Haut Selve Réserve, is produced only in standout vintages, with a yield of 38 hl/ha.

Vinification and ageing

Maceration for the red wines lasts between 21 and 28 days. The red wines are aged for 12 months in French oak barrels of various sizes (50 hl foudres, 225L, 400L, and 500L barrels), with one-third renewed each year. The Les Acacias cuvée undergoes 9 months of ageing in new 225L barrels, followed by 9 months in a 50 hl foudre. The Sednové cuvée is aged for 8 months in 750-litre Tava amphorae with no added sulphites. The cellar is equipped with temperature control.

For the white wines, vinification includes skin contact in vats. Maceration lasts 12 days. Château Haut Selve Blanc is aged for 6 months in oak barrels (50% new oak and 50% one-wine barrels), with 60% in 400L and 500L casks and 40% in 225L barriques. Coopers include Nadalié, Ana Selection and Stockinger. The white cuvée is floral, fruity and round, with lovely freshness.