Château Tour Haut Caussan

Identity

Château Tour Haut Caussan is a family winegrowing estate situated in Blaignan, in the Gironde. It is owned by the Courrian family, represented today by Philippe, Fabien and Véronique Courrian. Fabien Courrian serves as cellar master and vineyard manager, while Véronique Courrian oversees commercial management.

History and philosophy

The Courrian family's history in the Blaignan-Médoc area dates back to 1634. The acquisition of the first parcel of Château Tour Haut Caussan by Jean and Jeanne Courrian took place in 1877, the year the estate officially entered the family. A second parcel was acquired in 1929. In 1909, the estate signed its first merchant (*négoce*) contract.

The Caussan windmill, originally built in 1734, was restored in 1981 by the Compagnons du devoir. The barrel cellar was inaugurated in 2004, and the half-timbered tower was restored in 2005.

In 1965, Edmond Courrian handed the estate over to Philippe Courrian. More recently, in 2007, Philippe Courrian passed the property to Véronique and Fabien Courrian, ensuring family continuity.

In terms of viticultural practices, the estate is committed to using no chemical weedkillers or synthetic fertilisers, and applies no anti-botrytis treatments. Full mechanical soil management is practiced throughout. The estate is also undergoing conversion towards Haute Valeur Environnementale (level 3) certification.

Appellations

The wines of Château Tour Haut Caussan are produced under the AOC Médoc appellation.

Practical information

Château Tour Haut Caussan is located at 27 bis, rue de Verdun, 33340 Blaignan. The estate is open year-round, daily by appointment, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Visits and tastings are complimentary and may be self-guided or guided. The estate welcomes wine trade professionals, private visitors, groups and families, including children. It can accommodate groups of 5 to 25 people.

A fully functioning 17th-century windmill and a completely restored half-timbered tower form part of the estate's heritage. The site includes a picnic area and a children's play area. Services including drive-through/collection, delivery and Wi-Fi are available. On-site parking accommodates coaches and heavy goods vehicles. The estate exports its wines to 14 countries, representing 50% of its sales.

Contact: courrian@tourhautcaussan.com

Telephone: 05 56 09 00 77

Accepted payment methods: payment cards, cheques, cash, bank transfer.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The vineyard of Château Tour Haut Caussan covers 18 hectares, with 17 hectares planted with red grape varieties. The average age of the vines is 50 years. Planting density is 6,660 vines per hectare, with row spacing between 1 and 1.5 metres.

The plots are distributed across two distinct terroir profiles: 9 hectares on a clay-limestone hillside in Blaignan, and 9 hectares in the commune of Ordonnac, characterised by Pyrenean gravel over red clay on the Potensac plateau. Soil cultivation is entirely mechanical, with six passes per year including un-earthing (*décavaillonnage*), harrowing, and earthing up.

The estate's grape varieties are evenly split between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at 50% each. Harvesting is carried out by hand and the grapes are meticulously sorted before destemming.

Flagship cuvées

The estate's principal wine is Château Tour Haut Caussan Cru Bourgeois, a red wine characterised by its blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged in oak barrels, this wine is crafted to express the attributes of its terroir, offering a firm structure and classic Médoc aromas.

The estate's second wine is Château La Landotte. It comes from a 3-hectare vineyard situated on the Potensac plateau in Blaignan Médoc, on a clay-limestone and Pyrenean gravel terroir. Its blend is composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Château La Landotte is also aged in barrels.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification at Château Tour Haut Caussan is carried out in a traditional, low-intervention manner. The harvested grapes are placed into small concrete vats, enabling parcel-by-parcel vinification. They are chilled to 12°C for two to three days before temperatures are raised to between 25 and 28°C for fermentation, with two pump-overs per day. Maceration lasts for at least three weeks.

Devatting is gravity-fed, and transfer to barrels takes place before or after malolactic fermentation depending on the vintage. Ageing takes place in oak barrels, with three rackings during the year of maturation. One quarter of the barrels is renewed each year. Blending is carried out prior to fining. The cellar features two barrel rooms with a total single-tier capacity of 400 barrels. The vat room is equipped with 11 concrete vats, providing a capacity of 1,491 hectolitres.

For the second wine, Château La Landotte, vinification is carried out in epoxy-lined concrete vats with extended vatting. Ageing takes place entirely in barrels, with rackings every three months and blending prior to fining.