What are the characteristics of the terroir and grape varieties at Château Le Piat?

The Château Le Piat vineyard covers 7 hectares across a hillside and a plateau. The hillside features clay soils derived from Quaternary colluvium, while the plateau is made up of silty-clay soils over Asteria limestone. The plantings include red grape varieties such as Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc, and Malbec, as well as white varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, and Chardonnay. The estate is HVE certified.

Which appellations do Château Le Piat wines fall under, and which cuvées are produced?

The wines of Château Le Piat are mainly produced under the Côtes de Bourg Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). The estate also crafts wines under the Vin de France designation. The range includes red, white, rosé, claret, and sparkling wines. The main red cuvée is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec, while the white cuvée is also produced in Côtes de Bourg. 'Le Petit Piat' encompasses rosés, clarets, and a sparkling wine.

How are vinification and ageing carried out at Château Le Piat?

The vinification of red Merlot is carried out traditionally in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, followed by twelve months of ageing in vats or oak barrels. Malbec and Cabernet Franc are vinified in egg-shaped barrels. For white wines, the process includes whole-bunch pressing and fermentation in stainless-steel vats or barrels, followed by nine months of ageing on the lees. Rosés and clarets are produced by saignée, with vinification tailored to each style, and aged in stainless-steel tanks.

Château Le Piat - Côtes de Bourg Wine Estate

Château le Piat

Updated on 5 August 2026

Château Le Piat is a Côtes de Bourg winegrowing estate owned by the Baillou family since 2010. Managed by Romain Baillou, it produces red, white, rosé, claret, and sparkling wines. The vineyard covers 7 hectares and is farmed using precision viticulture.

chateau-le-piat-drone — © Château le Piat

Identity

Château Le Piat is a winegrowing estate located in Tauriac, in the Gironde department. It has been owned by the Baillou family since 2010. Romain Baillou, who is also the winemaker, has managed the vineyard since 2024.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Le Piat dates back to 1650, when the first building was erected and Louis Peychaud, the owner at the time, settled there. The Peychaud family retained the property until 1853. An heir, Joseph-Guillaume Peychaud, known as 'Milord', commissioned the construction of a neoclassical chartreuse in 1781, designed by architect Jean Lespine. The Castanet family acquired the estate in 1853 and owned it until 2010, when the Baillou family took over.

The estate practices precision viticulture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce the use of pesticides.

Appellations

The wines of Château Le Piat are produced under the Côtes de Bourg Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). The estate also produces Vin de France wines.

Practical information

Château Le Piat is located at 22 Avenue des Côtes de Bourg, 33710 Tauriac. For enquiries, the estate can be contacted by telephone on 06 63 45 69 90 or by email at chateaulepiat@gmail.com. Tastings and cellar-door sales are available directly at the property. The estate also provides a mail-order service.

Find out more

Official estate website

Frequently asked questions

Where is Château Le Piat located and who is the current owner?: Château Le Piat is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Tauriac, in Gironde. It has been owned by the Baillou family since 2010. Romain Baillou, who is also the winemaker, has managed the vineyard since 2024, continuing the family's commitment to producing wine on this historic terroir.
What are the characteristics of the terroir and grape varieties at Château Le Piat?: The Château Le Piat vineyard covers 7 hectares across a hillside and a plateau. The hillside features clay soils derived from Quaternary colluvium, while the plateau is made up of silty-clay soils over Asteria limestone. The plantings include red grape varieties such as Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc, and Malbec, as well as white varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, and Chardonnay. The estate is HVE certified.
Which appellations do Château Le Piat wines fall under, and which cuvées are produced?: The wines of Château Le Piat are mainly produced under the Côtes de Bourg Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). The estate also crafts wines under the Vin de France designation. The range includes red, white, rosé, claret, and sparkling wines. The main red cuvée is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec, while the white cuvée is also produced in Côtes de Bourg. 'Le Petit Piat' encompasses rosés, clarets, and a sparkling wine.
How are vinification and ageing carried out at Château Le Piat?: The vinification of red Merlot is carried out traditionally in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, followed by twelve months of ageing in vats or oak barrels. Malbec and Cabernet Franc are vinified in egg-shaped barrels. For white wines, the process includes whole-bunch pressing and fermentation in stainless-steel vats or barrels, followed by nine months of ageing on the lees. Rosés and clarets are produced by saignée, with vinification tailored to each style, and aged in stainless-steel tanks.

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Le Piat vineyard extends across 7 hectares situated on a hillside and a plateau. The hillside soils consist of clay brunisols formed from Quaternary colluvium. On the plateau, the soils are silty-clay calcisols derived from a Quaternary loamy formation over Asteria limestone. The vineyard reaches an altitude of 41 metres. The climate is temperate oceanic, influenced by the proximity of the Dordogne and the estuary. The estate relies on various rootstocks including RGM, 101-14, 3309C, 420A, and Fercal. The red grape varieties grown are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. For white wines, plantings include Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, and Chardonnay.

Flagship cuvées

Château Le Piat offers a diverse range of wines comprising reds, whites, rosés, clarets, and sparkling wines. Château Le Piat (rouge) is a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc (10%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), and Malbec (5%), characterised by its fleshy profile. Château Le Piat (blanc) is likewise produced under the Côtes de Bourg AOC. Under the name 'Le Petit Piat', the estate crafts rosé wines, clarets, and a traditional-method sparkling wine made from Chardonnay.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification of red Merlot at Château Le Piat is traditional. It takes place in small, temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, with gentle extraction and vatting for approximately three weeks at 28°C, followed by malolactic fermentation. Ageing for the red wines lasts twelve months, either in stainless-steel vats or in one- to two-wine oak barrels, with regular topping up and 2 to 3 rackings per year. For Malbec and Cabernet Franc, vinification is carried out entirely in 390-litre egg-shaped barrels, featuring an integrated pressure system for fermentation and infusion-style extraction.

For the white wines, the process begins with chilling to 6°C, whole-bunch pressing, and light settling of the must. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless-steel vats or oak barrels. Ageing continues on the fine lees for nine months, with bâtonnage (lees stirring).

Rosés and clarets are produced via saignée from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. For the rosé, the juice is vinified like a white wine. The claret undergoes micro-extraction via pump-overs. These wines are aged in stainless-steel tanks for 3 to 6 months. Prior to bottling, the wines are stabilised and undergo cross-flow filtration. The estate uses eco-designed bottles weighing approximately 400 grams and treated technical agglomerate cork stoppers.