Château Saint-Hilaire

Identity

Château Saint-Hilaire is a family winegrowing estate located in the commune of Castres-Gironde, in Gironde. It is currently run by Hélène and Clément Guérin, representing the third generation of winemakers. Clément Guérin is also the oenologist in charge of winemaking.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Saint-Hilaire began in 1970 with Denise and Gabriel Guérin, the estate's founders. Right from the outset, they chose an environmentally friendly approach to viticulture by adopting organic farming. Their daughter, Hélène Cante-Guérin, took over the management of the estate in the early 2000s, pursuing this philosophy. In 2019, Clément Guérin, Hélène's son and grandson of the founders, joined the team, contributing his expertise in oenology.

In 2018, the estate was awarded the Trophée des Pionniers de la Bio by the Association des Pionniers de la Bio, in recognition of its long-standing dedication to organic viticulture.

Appellations

Château Saint-Hilaire produces wines under the AOC Graves appellation (red and white) as well as Graves Supérieures. The estate also offers a Vin de France.

Winemaking and ageing

The red wines of Château Saint-Hilaire are aged for 12 months in oak barrels. The white wines may also benefit from barrel ageing.

Practical information

Château Saint-Hilaire is situated in Castres-Gironde. The estate can be contacted by telephone on 06 80 25 40 35 or 05 56 81 54 23, and by email at hg.guerin@orange.fr.

The estate welcomes wine tourists all year round, every day, by prior arrangement. Tours and tastings are free of charge. Direct cellar-door sales are available. The estate also participates in the Graves appellation Open Days (Portes Ouvertes) every third weekend of October.

Château Saint-Hilaire also provides home delivery, with free shipping for orders of 36 bottles or more. Delivery fees apply to smaller orders.

For accommodation, the estate offers two self-catering holiday cottages certified by Gîtes de France and Hébergement Bacchus, each accommodating up to 6 guests. The gîte "La Ferme de Marie" (Gironde reference no. 2136) is located in Saint-Morillon and rated 4 épis. The gîte "Le Logis de la Périchère" (Gironde reference no. 2093) is located in Castres-Gironde and rated 3 épis. Reservations can be made by telephone on 05 56 81 54 23.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Saint-Hilaire vineyard covers an area of 15 hectares, spread across the communes of Portets, Castres-Gironde, and Saint-Morillon, south of Bordeaux on the Left Bank of the Garonne.

The soils are diverse, featuring silica-gravel soils (gravel and pebbles deposited by the Garonne) in Portets and Castres-Gironde, clay-gravel soils (gravel and pebbles over a clay matrix) in Haut-Portets, clay-limestone soils (with outcropping asteriated limestone) in the heart of the village of Portets, and friable Tertiary limestone soils complemented by fine gravel in Saint-Morillon.

The grape varieties across the 12 hectares of red vines include Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, with a predominance of Merlot (90%). The 3 hectares of white vines are planted with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon (55% Sémillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc for the blend of certain cuvées).

The vineyard has been managed under organic farming since 1970, following the Lemaire-Boucher method. This approach excludes the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, and chemical plant protection products. Disease prevention against downy mildew and powdery mildew is conducted exclusively with copper and sulphur. Soil management combines natural winter grass cover with mechanical tillage (ploughing, unhilling) starting in spring. Canopy management (de-suckering, lifting, leaf removal) is carried out by hand. The harvest is also performed manually.

Flagship cuvées

The estate crafts various cuvées, notably a Château Saint-Hilaire red and a Château Saint-Hilaire white, as well as a Graves Supérieures cuvée. The white wine is distinguished by a predominance of Sémillon. The red wines are predominantly based on Merlot.