Château Rousseau de Sipian

Identity

Château Rousseau de Sipian is located in the commune of Valeyrac, in Gironde. The estate director is Jianqi Wu.

History and philosophy

Château Rousseau de Sipian dates back to the 19th century, following the marriage of Guillaume Rousseau and Marie Bert. The Neo-Renaissance château was built at the dawn of the French Third Republic by architect Jean-Édouard Bonnore. Its architecture is characterised by a raised main dwelling, an octagonal tower, and a horseshoe staircase. The interior features a Napoleon III-style vestibule, a wood-panelled dining room, a sitting room with a Rococo fireplace, and an English library. The estate is also graced with a century-old park featuring a pond, a wooden bridge, and an artificial island, planted with roses and lavender.

After a period of winegrowing inactivity between the 1940s and 1980s, viticultural operations resumed at the end of the last century. In 2000, the British-born Racey family acquired the property.

Appellations

The estate produces wines under the Médoc appellation (Cru Bourgeois).

Practical information

Château Rousseau de Sipian is located at 26 Route Port de Goulée, 33340 Valeyrac. The estate is open to the public from Monday to Friday, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm for cellar-door sales. Tours of the château and barrel cellar are available by appointment at €5 per person, including a tasting of two wines. The estate also offers six renovated guest rooms in the château, as well as an independent holiday cottage.

Telephone: 05 56 41 54 92

Email: rousseaudesipian@orange.fr

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard of Château Rousseau de Sipian covers a total area of approximately 10 hectares. The soils consist of Garonne gravel, sandy-gravel, and clay-limestone. The grape varieties are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

Flagship cuvées

The main cuvée, Château Rousseau de Sipian, is a still red wine. It is crafted from vines averaging between 25 and 40 years of age, with a planting density of 6,000 vines per hectare. The annual production for this cuvée is around 55,000 bottles.

A second cuvée, Les Tourelles de Sipian, is also produced as a Vin de Pays. This wine comes from parcels covering roughly 0.2 hectares, with vines around ten years old and a planting density of 3,000 vines per hectare. The soils are similar to those of the main cuvée. The grape varieties for this cuvée are Sauvignon gris and St Emillon. Annual production is approximately 600 bottles.

Vinification and ageing

For the Château Rousseau de Sipian cuvée, vinification involves maceration of destemmed and crushed grapes, with daily pump-overs. Vatting lasts 3 to 4 weeks in temperature-controlled concrete vats, followed by malolactic fermentation in vat. Ageing takes place entirely in oak barrels, 50% of which are new.

For the Les Tourelles de Sipian cuvée, the grapes are harvested by hand, followed by direct pressing upon arrival at the vat room. Fermentation and ageing take place in barrels, with regular lees stirring (bâtonnage). Ageing is carried out 100% in oak barrels.