Château Tournefeuille

Identity

Château Tournefeuille is located in Néac, in the Gironde department. It is currently owned by the Petit and Cambier families.

History and Philosophy

Château Tournefeuille boasts a long history, with vines documented on its hillsides as early as 1783. In 1850, Victor Tastet acquired the estate and built a winery complex. Camille Decout succeeded him in 1874 and worked to build its reputation, garnering numerous accolades. In 1939, the Sautarel family took over the château. Management of the estate was passed to the Petit and Cambier families in 1998. The vineyard grew with the acquisition of Château La Révérence (3 hectares in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru) in 2003, followed by Château Lécuyer (in the Pomerol appellation) in 2004.

The name “Tournefeuille” is thought to refer to the favourable wind exposure enjoyed by the vines on the upper slopes, allowing the leaves to “turn” (tourner) and catch the sunlight.

In terms of viticulture, the estate combines a biodynamic conversion on 50% of its vineyard with sustainable methods (lutte raisonnée) on the remainder. This approach rules out chemical weedkillers and insecticides. Vineyard work includes manual leaf thinning and hand-picking. For the La Cure cuvée, sustainable viticulture is practised, featuring mechanical weeding, alternating grass cover, manual leaf thinning, and green harvesting, completed by hand picking.

Appellations

The estate produces wines under the Lalande de Pomerol, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (Château La Révérence), and Pomerol (Château Lécuyer) appellations.

Winemaking and Ageing

For the main Château Tournefeuille cuvée, ageing lasts 18 months, with 20% in vats and 80% in barrels, one-third of which are new fine-grained French oak.

For the La Cure cuvée, winemaking includes sorting on tables and cold pre-fermentation maceration in temperature-controlled concrete vats. Maceration on the skins lasts between three weeks and a month, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrels and vats. Ageing takes place over a period of 14 to 16 months, exclusively in new fine-grained French oak barrels.

Practical Information

The estate offers tours including tastings in the cellar. It also provides accommodation with bed-and-breakfast guest rooms and two holiday cottages (gîtes), each with access to a swimming pool. Themed events such as “Apéritifs Éphémères” and “Harvester for a Day” workshops are also organised.

Find Out More

Official estate website

The Vineyard (Terroir)

The Château Tournefeuille vineyard covers a total surface area of 24 hectares. Plots within the Lalande de Pomerol appellation account for 18 hectares.

The terroir is defined by a clay-gravel spur. It features a south-facing slope with swelling clays, a gravel knoll at the hilltop, a second north-facing slope on gravelly clays, and a clay-loam plateau. For the La Cure cuvée, the soils are clay-gravel with clay contents reaching up to 40%.

The grape varieties planted at Château Tournefeuille consist of 62% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Malbec.

The average age of the vines at Château Tournefeuille varies: 5% are 30 years old, 17% are 20 years old, 22% are 10 years old, 7% are 40 years old, 30% are 50 years old, and 20% are 60 years old. For the La Cure cuvée, 30% of the vines are 30 years old and 70% are 50 years old.

Flagship Cuvées

Château Tournefeuille is the estate's primary cuvée. The blend can vary depending on the vintage, comprising mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, sometimes with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. Annual production ranges between 50,000 and 80,000 bottles.

The La Cure cuvée is crafted from parcels with a high average vine age. It is produced under the Lalande de Pomerol appellation. Annual production is estimated between 2,000 and 4,000 bottles.

The estate also offers Château La Révérence, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, and Château Lécuyer, a Pomerol.