Château Soubian

Identity

Château Soubian is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Léognan, within the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The Célérier family owns the estate, while operations are managed by SC Domaine de Chevalier (Bernard family). Olivier Bernard oversees operations, Vincent Bernard is the technical director, Rémi Edange serves as deputy director, Didier Peytour is the vineyard manager, and Antoine Roulier is the cellar master.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Soubian dates back to the 18th century, as evidenced by its appearance on the Guyenne map created by Pierre de Belleyme. The Célérier family acquired the estate in 1930. In 1883, the wine of Soubian was described in the Cocks & Féret guide as distinguished, delicate, supple, and very fruity. Production at the estate ceased in the 1950s, largely due to life's vicissitudes and the severe frost of 1956. Today, the estate is run by the Bernard family, who also manage SC Domaine de Chevalier.

Appellations

Château Soubian produces wines under the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

Key wines

The estate produces one red cuvée, Château Soubian Rouge. This wine is crafted from a blend that, for the 2020 vintage, was predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (75%) complemented by Merlot (25%). The wines are generally estate-bottled.

Practical information

Château Soubian is located at 30 Chemin de Saubian, 33850 Léognan. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 (0)5 56 64 16 16 or by email at olivierbernard@domainedechevalier.com.

Further information

Château Soubian does not have its own documented official website.

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Soubian vineyard spans 4 hectares dedicated to red grape varieties. Situated to the west of the village of Léognan, it is planted on a gravel outcrop. The soils feature gravel over a clay-gravel subsoil. The red grape varieties consist of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Harvesting is carried out by hand, with selective sorting in the vineyard and cellar, and grapes are transported in small crates. A double sort—both manual and optical—is carried out on sorting tables.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification of the red wines takes place in temperature-controlled vats. Ageing lasts 16 months and is carried out in fine-grained French oak barrels. Bottling takes place at the château, using Verallia Burdigala-style bottles sealed with Diam corks. The wines are packaged in flat 6-bottle cases. For the 2020 vintage, bottling took place in April 2022, following a harvest held from 16 to 28 September.