Château le Trebuchet

Identity

Château Le Trébuchet is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Les Esseintes, in Gironde. It is managed by Jean-Guillaume de Giacinto.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Le Trébuchet began in 1959, when the current owner's grandparents, originally from Veneto, acquired the estate. The first vines were planted in the late 1960s. Jean-Guillaume de Giacinto took over the helm of the family estate in 2021. Committed to an environmentally friendly approach, the estate achieved organic certification in 2023, following a conversion process initiated in 2020. A future goal is to transition towards biodynamics. Renovation work was carried out in the cellars, including the restoration of temperature-controlled 65 to 100 hL vats, as well as the creation of an ageing cellar.

Appellations

Château Le Trébuchet produces wines under the Bordeaux appellation, including wines under the Bordeaux Clairet appellation.

Practical information

The estate is located at Le Trébuchet, 33190 Les Esseintes. For any enquiries, the estate can be contacted by telephone on 05 56 71 26 26 or by email at contact@domaineletrebuchet.com. The estate offers complimentary visits to discover its work and purchase wines directly from the property.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The estate covers a total area of 25 hectares, with 8.5 hectares dedicated to vines. The vineyard is established on a rolling terroir, characterised by soils composed of clay, sand, and silt. It benefits from the influence of an encircling forest of century-old oak trees. The plots face both north and south, with elevations reaching up to 80 metres. The grape varieties planted comprise Cabernet Sauvignon (3.8 ha), Cabernet Franc (1.7 ha), Merlot (1.3 ha), Malbec (1.3 ha), and Petit Verdot (0.4 ha). The estate practices complantation.

Flagship cuvées

The estate offers a range of four red wine cuvées, the first of which were crafted from the 2021 vintage. Cuvée Grès, a single-varietal Cabernet Franc, is aged for seven months in stoneware eggs. Cuvée Porcelaine is an equal blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged for seven months in porcelain amphorae. Cuvée Terracotta, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, benefits from one year of ageing in Tuscan terracotta amphorae. Finally, Cuvée Oak is a blend of the estate's four red grape varieties (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 10% Malbec), aged for one year in lightly toasted, fine-grained new oak barrels. The estate is considering developing a fifth cuvée aged in concrete eggs, potentially for 2023, and also plans to produce white wine.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification is carried out with advice from consultant oenologist Julien Belle (Œnoteam). Wine ageing takes place in various vessels, including ceramic amphorae (porcelain, stoneware, terracotta) and oak barrels. Temperature-controlled vats are used for vinification.