Château Picque Caillou

Identity

Château Picque Caillou is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Mérignac, in Gironde. It is currently owned by Laurent Marti. Owners Isabelle Denis and Paulin Calvet previously managed the estate, with Paulin Calvet serving as director. Denis Dubourdieu and Valérie Lavigne have acted as consultant oenologists for the property.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Picque Caillou dates back to the construction of the château in 1756, designed by architect Jean Laclotte. In 1947, Etienne Denis acquired the property. The current owners took over the management of the estate in 1997. The estate does not practice biodynamics.

The appellations

The parcels of Château Picque Caillou are situated within the Pessac-Léognan appellation area. The estate produces both red and white wines.

Practical information

Château Picque Caillou is located at 93 Avenue Pierre Mendès-France, 33700 Mérignac. The estate is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, including bank holidays, for wine tourism visits. Tours are by appointment and can be conducted in French and English. The cellar door shop is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00. For enquiries, the estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)5 56 47 37 98 or by email at contact@picque-caillou.com. The estate hosts tastings and private functions.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Picque Caillou vineyard spans a total area of 25 hectares, of which 22 hectares are dedicated to red grape varieties and 3 hectares to white grape varieties. The average vine age is 35 years. The terroir is characterised by Günzian gravel, alluvial deposits washed down from the Pyrénées. Harvesting is carried out by hand. The grape varieties for the red wines comprise 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, or, according to other sources, 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. For the white wines, the plantings include 90% Sauvignon and 10% Sémillon, or, according to other records, 60% Sauvignon and 40% Sémillon.

Key cuvées

Château Picque Caillou offers several cuvées. For red wine, these include Château Picque Caillou and La Réserve de Picque Caillou. For white wine, the estate produces Château Picque Caillou Blanc. Average annual production is approximately 110,000 bottles for the red wine and 12,000 bottles for the white wine.