Château Perenne

Identity

Château Pérenne is a winegrowing estate located in Saint-Genès-de-Blaye, in the Gironde department. It is owned by Jack Ma.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Pérenne dates back to 1789, when it was owned by the monks of the Abbaye Saint-Romain de Blaye. In 1791, the estate was sold to the Irish O'Lanye family. The property was then acquired by Pierre Arnaud in 1832. In 1868, the estate was listed as Cru Bourgeois No. 1 in "Cocks et Féret", producing between 130 and 160 barrels at the time. The current château, designed by architect Gustav Alaux, was built in 1870 by the Arnaud family. In 1895, the estate was awarded a gold medal by the Société d'agriculture de la Gironde, with production reaching 250 to 300 barrels. In 1910, Danish-born Count Ejnar Oberbeck-Clausen acquired the estate from the Arnaud heirs. In 1997, Bernard Magrez purchased it, and Michel Rolland advised Château Pérenne on winemaking and vineyard management. In 2002, the estate launched La Croix de Pérenne, and the vineyard was also used to produce Château Confiance in partnership with Gérard Depardieu. In 2016, Château Pérenne was acquired by entrepreneur Jack Ma.

The appellations

Château Pérenne produces wines under the Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg, and Côtes de Blaye appellations.

Practical information

The estate is located at Pérenne, 33390 Saint-Genès-de-Blaye. For inquiries, you can contact +33 6 13 81 36 22. Château Pérenne offers on-site cellar-door sales and tastings. Visits and tastings are not available during the harvest and vinification periods.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Pérenne vineyard covers a total area of 71 hectares, planted on clay-limestone soils. The average age of the vines is 40 years. The local climate, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and nearby rivers, helps temper summer heat and winter weather extremes. The estate's red grape varieties consist of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. For white wines, plantings comprise 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sauvignon Gris, and 33% Sémillon.

The estate includes dedicated plots for specific cuvées: 55 hectares for Château Pérenne (red), 14 hectares for Château Baffort (on the slopes of Mazion), and 13.5 hectares for Château Guerry, whose vineyard benefits from optimal sun exposure.

Flagship cuvées

Château Pérenne (red)

This cuvée is crafted from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine undergoes fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, followed by malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels for at least nine months, with total barrel ageing lasting around twenty months. Annual production is approximately 20,000 cases.

La Croix de Pérenne

This cuvée, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, is aged in French oak barrels, with 30% renewed each year.

Château Pérenne Blanc

This white wine is a blend of 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sauvignon Gris, and 33% Sémillon. It is fermented in barrels and aged for an average of 10 months prior to bottling.

Château Baffort

Château Baffort is a red wine made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Crafted without added sulfites, it is vinified in temperature-controlled vats and bottled after 10 months. The vineyard dedicated to this cuvée covers 14 hectares of clay-limestone soils.

Château Guerry

This cuvée is composed of 55% Merlot, 20% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The 13.5-hectare vineyard is also planted on clay-limestone soils.

Vinification and ageing

The wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. For the red wines, malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels, with an ageing period of up to twenty months in oak for Château Pérenne. Ageing for La Croix de Pérenne takes place in French oak barrels, 30% of which are renewed annually. Château Pérenne Blanc is fermented and aged in barrels for around 10 months. Château Baffort, vinified in temperature-controlled vats, is bottled after 10 months.