Château Reynon

Identity

Château Reynon is a winegrowing estate located in Barsac, in Gironde. It is currently managed by Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu, supported by his brother Fabrice Dubourdieu. The current owners are the sons of Denis Dubourdieu. Ludovic Bernard is the estate's cellar master.

History and philosophy

The origins of Château Reynon date back to the 15th century, when it was known as Château de Béguey. Over the centuries, the estate has passed through various hands, including Jean de La Roque at the end of the 15th century and the Carle de Trajet family in the 18th century. Following the French Revolution, the Laspeyrère family acquired the property and built the current residence around 1850. At the beginning of the 20th century, around 1900, Émile Pollet took over, before Jacques David purchased the estate in 1958. In 1976, his daughter, Florence David, and his son-in-law, Denis Dubourdieu, took the helm of the property.

In 1979, the estate was renamed Château Reynon. Denis Dubourdieu, a specialist in dry white winemaking, turned the Reynon cellar into an experimental testing ground, notably for refining techniques such as skin contact and lees ageing in vat for Sauvignon and Sémillon. From the 1980s onwards, the estate specialised in dry white Sauvignon wines. In 1988, a vineyard restructuring was undertaken. Since 1996, Château Reynon has also produced sweet wines in the Cadillac appellation during vintages conducive to noble rot. In 1998, the red Reynon established itself as a recognised value in Bordeaux. Following Denis Dubourdieu's passing in July 2016, his sons, Jean-Jacques and Fabrice Dubourdieu, have carried on his legacy.

Appellations

Château Reynon produces wines under several appellations. For red wines, production falls primarily under the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. Dry white wines are crafted under the Bordeaux and Cadillac appellations. The estate also produces a rosé wine under the Bordeaux appellation, as well as a sweet wine under the Cadillac appellation, predominantly Sauvignon-based, in favourable vintages.

Practical information

Château Reynon is located at 15, Gravas, 33720 Barsac. The estate can be reached by telephone on +33 5 56 62 96 51 or by email at contact@denisdubourdieu.fr. Wine tastings and cellar-door sales are available. Visits are by appointment.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard of Château Reynon covers an area of 33.3 hectares. It is situated close to Cadillac, on a well-exposed hillside. The soils consist of deep clays, typical of the hillsides, and gravelly hilltops. The parcels benefit from a south-west exposure. The average age of the vines is around 23 years. The estate's grape varieties are made up of 43% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 34.5% Sauvignon, and 0.5% Sémillon. The Petit Verdot variety was introduced about fifteen years ago (around 2005) and covers 3.5 hectares. Harvesting is carried out both by hand and mechanically.

Flagship cuvées

Château Reynon offers several cuvées. Château Reynon Rouge is a red wine in the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, often marked by a dominance of Merlot in its blend (80% for the 2014 vintage, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot). Clos de Reynon Rouge is the estate's second red wine. Château Reynon Blanc is a Sauvignon Blanc under the Bordeaux appellation. The estate also crafts Château Reynon Cadillac, a sweet botrytised wine. A dedicated cuvée, Hommage Denis Dubourdieu, is produced from 100% Petit Verdot, with its maiden vintage in 2018. This wine stands out for its deep colour and striking fruit character, revealing an assertive style for a notoriously temperamental grape variety.

Vinification and ageing

Red wine fermentation takes place in stainless steel and concrete vats, with gentle extractions achieved through pump-overs. The red wines are aged for 12 months in oak barrels. For white wines, fermentation and ageing take place in wooden vats and stainless steel tanks. The ageing period for white wines is 5 months. For the whites, skin contact is employed alongside ageing on the lees in vat for the Sauvignon and Sémillon varieties.