Château Haute Nauve

Identity

Château Haute-Nauve is a winegrowing estate located in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, in the Gironde department. Florent Mallet is its current manager and owner, carrying on the family legacy established by the Reynier family across four generations.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Haute-Nauve is steeped in a four-generation family tradition. In 1930, Léo Reynier, then the owner, joined the Saint-Émilion cooperative. A major turning point came in 2009 when Marie-Anne Reynier, mother of current owner Florent Mallet, undertook significant investments, notably building a new cellar. This initiative marked the return of on-site vinification, allowing for greater expression of the terroir and vineyard work. The estate is committed to sustainable viticulture, as evidenced by its Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) certification.

The appellations

Château Haute-Nauve produces wines under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.

Practical information

Château Haute-Nauve is located at Lieu dit Haute-Nauve, 56 rue Monturon, 33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes. You can contact the estate by phone at +33 (0)5 57 24 73 21 or +33 (0)6 66 31 44 42, or by email at chateauhaute-nauve@hotmail.com. The tasting cellar is open year-round from Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00. Guided tours are available by appointment only and are conducted in French and English. The estate features on-site parking, welcomes pets, is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility, and accommodates groups. It also offers camping pitches in the heart of the vineyard, including a wine tasting and access to private bathroom facilities (no electricity on the pitches, but device charging is available). Accepted payment methods are debit/credit cards and cash.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Haute-Nauve vineyard covers 9 hectares. The vines are predominantly planted at the foot of the slopes, with a portion also on the hillsides, in the south-eastern part of the Saint-Émilion appellation. The grape varieties comprise Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (27%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%). The average age of the vines is 45 years. The soils are diverse, featuring clay-limestone, siliceous, sandy, and clay profiles, as well as outcropping and starfish limestone (calcaire à astéries). The estate practices sustainable agriculture, certified Haute Valeur Environnementale.

Flagship cuvées

The estate offers several cuvées, including Château Haute-Nauve and Château Le Comte Mallet. The Château Haute-Nauve cuvée, crafted from a blend of 70% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from sandy and clay soils located at the foot of the slope. The 2020 vintage was awarded a silver medal at the Concours des Vins de Lyon 2022. The Château Le Comte Mallet cuvée, with a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, is sourced from vines averaging 60 years of age on hillside clay-limestone soils. Another cuvée, named Son Altesse, is produced as a limited edition of 2,000 numbered bottles, with a similar blend (80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc) and also sourced from approximately 60-year-old vines on hillside clay-limestone soils.

Vinification and ageing

Harvesting at Château Haute-Nauve is carried out both manually and mechanically. Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats, oak barrels, and foudres. The wines are aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. For certain cuvées, 50% of the barrels are new oak. Average annual production ranges between 40,000 and 50,000 bottles.