Château Massereau
Updated on
Château Massereau in Barsac, owned by the Chaigneau family, produces organic wines under the Graves, Barsac Sauternes, Bordeaux Supérieur and Bordeaux Clairet appellations, using input-free vinification.
Identity
Château Massereau is a winegrowing estate located in Barsac. It is owned by the Chaigneau family, with Jean-François Chaigneau as winegrower. His brother Philippe Chaigneau is also actively involved in the estate's operations.
History and Philosophy
The Château Massereau building, a former hunting lodge of the Ducs d’Epernon, dates back to the 16th century. The Chaigneau family acquired the estate in 2000. Château Massereau is committed to producing natural, vibrant wines that truly reflect their terroir, while actively working to preserve biodiversity.
Appellations
Château Massereau produces wines across several appellations d'origine contrôlée. The parcels are spread across the Barsac Sauternes, Graves, Bordeaux Supérieur and Bordeaux Clairet appellations. The surface area covers 2 hectares in the Barsac appellation, 2.7 hectares in the Graves appellation, and 6.5 hectares in the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation.
Practical Information
The address of Château Massereau is: 6 La Pachère, 33720 Barsac. You can contact the estate by telephone on 05 56 27 46 62 or by email at contact@chateau-massereau.com. Visits and tastings are available by prior appointment.
Find Out More
Frequently asked questions
- Which appellations are produced by Château Massereau?
- Château Massereau crafts wines across several appellations d'origine contrôlée. These include wines from the Graves appellation, with 2.7 dedicated hectares, as well as Bordeaux Supérieur, which represents the largest surface area at 6.5 hectares. The estate also produces Bordeaux Clairet wines and holds 2 hectares in the Barsac appellation, alongside parcels for Sauternes.
- What is Château Massereau's winemaking philosophy?
- Château Massereau's winemaking philosophy is defined by a complete absence of oenological inputs. The estate uses neither chaptalisation, acidification, nor commercial yeasts. Likewise, the wines are neither fined nor filtered. Sulphur use is kept to a strict minimum, with a very slight addition during ageing, keeping total SO2 levels between 10 and 35 mg/l. The goal is to craft natural, vibrant wines that remain true to their terroir.
- What are the characteristics of Château Massereau's terroir?
- Château Massereau's vineyard is planted on gravelly and clay-limestone soils, situated on a knoll overlooking the Ciron. Part of the estate lies within a designated Natura 2000 area along the riverbank. This location fosters the development of noble rot on the grapes. The estate spans 11 hectares in active production.
- Who runs Château Massereau and what is its history?
- Château Massereau has been owned by the Chaigneau family since 2000. Jean-François Chaigneau is the estate's winegrower, working alongside his brother Philippe Chaigneau. The château building itself has a rich history dating back to the 16th century, when it served as a hunting lodge for the Ducs d’Epernon. The Chaigneau family is dedicated to sustaining wine production that reflects both this heritage and the terroir.
The Vineyard (Terroir)
The estate covers a total area of 21 hectares, of which 11 hectares are planted and in production. The vineyard is situated on a knoll overlooking the Ciron. Part of the estate lies within a designated Natura 2000 area along the banks of the Ciron, a factor that encourages the development of noble rot on the grapes.
The soils in the Graves appellation are gravelly and clay-limestone. The estate practises an ‘intelligent’ approach to organic viticulture that goes well beyond standard organic requirements. Methods include massal selection co-planting, mechanical tillage without chemical herbicides, and almost year-round cover crops. A range of manual vineyard tasks are carried out, including debudding, suckering, leaf stripping and green harvesting (thinning). The grapes are hand-harvested plot by plot, with meticulous sorting. Pruning is carried out using the cordon de Royat system. Practices also feature cover crops, zero synthetic fertilisers, and sheep grazing.
Château Massereau is certified Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3 (HVE 3).
Flagship Cuvées
Château Massereau offers a range of nine wines, including several iconic cuvées. Bordeaux cuvées include Cuvée TRADITION, Rouge ÉCLAIRÉ, Cuvée K and Cuvée X. For the Graves appellation, the estate produces Cuvée ELIOTT (a single-varietal Petit Verdot), Cuvée MASSEREAU GRAVES, Cuvée LOLA and Cuvée SOCRATE. In the Barsac appellation, the cuvées M and LA PACHERE are crafted. Cuvée LA PACHERE is made from botrytised Muscadelle and Sémillon grapes.
Vinification and Ageing
Château Massereau's winemaking philosophy relies on the complete absence of oenological inputs. The estate eschews chaptalisation, acidification, commercial yeasts, fining and filtration. Sulphur use is kept to a strict minimum, with only a very small addition during ageing, keeping total SO2 levels between 10 and 35 mg/l. Ageing takes place in oak barrels, predominantly French oak (Tronçais, Bercé, Bertranges, Jupilles), with light toasting. The estate works with coopers such as Darnajou, Cœur de France, Demptos and Stockinger. Corks are selected from the finest cork-oak forests, mainly Portuguese, Sardinian or Catalan, and are surface-treated with certified organic natural beeswax.
- Appellations
- Graves, Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Clairet, Barsac, Sauternes
- Commune
- Barsac
- Wine region
- Graves & Sauternais
- Classification
- Domaine bio
- Owner
- Famille Chaigneau
- Technical direction
- Jean-François Chaigneau
- Surface area
- 11 ha
- Certifications
- HVE
Practical information
- Address
- 6 La Pachère, 33720 Barsac
- Phone
- 05 56 27 46 62
- Contact form
- Contact the estate
- Visits
- Visite puis dégustation, il est préférable de prendre rdv avant