Château la Grande Clotte

Identity

Château La Grande Clotte is located in the commune of Lussac. It is managed by Julie and Mathieu Mercier, both agricultural engineers and oenologists.

History and philosophy

The estate was leased to Michel and Dany Rolland from 1992 by the Malaterre family. In 2016, Julie and Mathieu Mercier acquired the property. The winegrowing estate has been certified in Agriculture Biologique since 2023.

Appellations

Château La Grande Clotte produces red wines under the Lussac-Saint-Émilion appellation and white wines under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation.

Practical information

Château La Grande Clotte is located at Lieu Dit La Clotte, 33570 Lussac. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)6 49 77 23 97 or by email at julie.mercier@lagrandeclotte.com. Cellar-door sales are available directly at the property. Guided tours and tastings (complimentary, lasting 30 minutes) are organised, including a tasting of one white wine and several Lussac-Saint-Émilion wines. Wine tourism experiences are also on offer, such as the Atelier Assemblage blending workshop (2 hours, €70 per person, minimum 2 people) and the Bicy'Clotte Tour (€70, from 10:00 to 16:00), an electric bike ride with a picnic basket and stops at local artisan producers, including an estate tour and tasting. The estate also features two self-contained holiday lets and is pet-friendly. Languages spoken are French and English.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard spans a total surface area of 8 hectares, benefiting from a south-facing exposure. The soils are predominantly clay-limestone for the red wine parcels, and clay-gravel or sandy-gravel for the white wine parcels. Red grape varieties cover 7 hectares and comprise Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Marselan. White grape varieties cover 1 hectare and include Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. The average vine age is 20 years. The estate employs viticultural practices such as cover crops. Harvesting is carried out by hand.

Signature cuvées

The estate offers several flagship cuvées. CHÂTEAU La Grande Clotte Rouge is a red wine from the Lussac-Saint-Émilion appellation. It is crafted from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Certain cuvées, such as Cuvée Rendez-vous, may combine 90% Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Others, such as Cuvée L'Envolée, are 100% Merlot. These wines are characterised by red fruit aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant, supported by silky tannins. L’ENVOLÉE CHÂTEAU La Grande Clotte Blanc is a dry white wine under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation. Its blend brings together Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. The estate produces approximately 45,000 bottles of red wine and 4,000 bottles of white wine each year.

Vinification and ageing

Harvesting is performed by hand across all cuvées. For the red wines, ageing takes place in vats (60%), new oak barrels (20%), and barrels of one or more previous fills (20%). Certain specific cuvées may also be aged in amphorae. For the white wines, fermentation takes place in new oak barrels, followed by lees stirring (bâtonnage), before bottling without fining.