The Château

Merlot at the base of Maison - Organic Grapes for Rosé

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Claribes Maison

Maison to Chateau

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Autumn Merlot

Historic Location

Château de Claribès, established in the 16th Century, has limestone slopes and proximity to the Dordogne making it an ideal site for grape growing and river transport into the port of Bordeaux.

Gallo Romans first introduced vineyards into the region. They recognized that the maritime climate provides excellent moderate conditions for grape growing.

Beneath the Château are caves of archaeological interest. Thought to have been inhabited centuries before the Romans, this was confirmed in an excavation conducted by the University of Bordeaux. Many artefacts, pieces of pottery and other articles were discovered, some of which can be seen in the Bordeaux natural history museum.

The Current Owners

Helen & Nick, produced their first wine vintage at the property in 2005, continuing a tradition of quality and innovation. “Our philosophy,” says Helen, “is simple – We make wines that are a true reflection of the terroir in a way that is sustainable and natural.”

Quality and sustainability are at the core of their investment, replanting and restructuring the vineyards to Côte de Bordeaux standards, conversion to Organic (Biologique) agriculture, upgrading the wineries and implementing production methods for Organic Wine. Organic (Biologique) Certification has been awarded from the 2013 vintage. Château de Claribés wines are vegan from the 2006 vintage.

We are the only Château, winemaker and vineyard in the village of Claribès. All our wines are sold under the single brand Château de Claribès. This brand and no variation on it are your guarantees of authenticity and provenance.

Certified Biologique Vineyards

Veraison of the Merlot first week of August 2014

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Claribes Merlot Pre Floraison

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Certified Biologique
by EcoCert

We currently have eleven hectares of vineyard with varieties of vines chosen to harmonise with the soil and climate conditions. The grape varieties typify Côtes de Bordeaux, varieties that produce elegant white and rosé wines, and red wines that are full-bodied and refined. Vineyards surround the house and wineries, so the grapes arrive and start the winemaking process within minutes of being picked.

The land and vineyards are officially classified as agriculture Biologique (the French term for Organic). Full Biologique status was achieved in 2012.

We follow the lunar calendar for all key vineyard and winery activities. Much of the work in the vineyard is carried out by hand, organic fertilisers are used, indigenous plants are encouraged to grow between the rows of vines and the lunar cycle determines when we carry out key activities including the harvest.

Our objective is to have healthy, fully ripe grapes on all vineyard parcels before each is harvested. Our focus and belief are in a natural, sustainable path. A quote about our Rosé in the Guide Hachette des Vins confirms the result in the wine.

“… made according to the lunar calendar, and judging by this wine, there’s definitely something in it”.
Guide Hachette des Vins

AOC Wines - Certified Biologique

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Hand Crafting Wine

Just as in the vineyard, we make wines as naturally as possible with a focus on quality. They are a true reflection of the vines and the vineyards.

The wines are Biologique, audited and certified by Ecocert. Wines from vintages 2010, 2011 and 2012 are classified as in conversion. Our first full Organic Bordeaux Wines are from the 2013 vintage.

The wines meet the rigorous quality and production standards Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Sainte-Foy Côte de Bordeaux. This is certified by QualiBordeaux.

Our handcrafted winemaking process means we can only make limited quantities of each wine. It’s labour intensive, as many of our visitors will testify, requiring careful attention to detail.

“Provenance has taken on increased significance amongst fine wine consumers. Knowing and buying direct from small producers, where the profits go back into the quality of the product, is THE WAY TO GO”.

Vin Blanc

White wine is made from our hectare of Sauvignon Blanc grapes. These grapes produce our superb fresh, clean & dry Bordeaux Blanc-Sec “Cent pour Cent”.

To capture all the delicate natural flavours and aromas we harvested in the cool early morning air and press the whole bunches as soon as they arrive. Everything is kept at a steady low temperature during fermentation and we elaborate the wine on the fine lees.

Vin Rosé

Grapes for rosé wines are harvested by hand. We use a similar process to white wine, press the whole bunches as soon as they arrive and cold ferment the pale juice. This technique helps to produce our truly pale Bordeaux Rosé, dry and picked by hand.

No allergens are used in the process and SO2 levels are kept to strict minimums for Biologique (Organic) wine.

Vins Rouge

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carménère and Malbec provide us with options to innovate with our red wines. We use fermentation techniques that are specific for each parcel of vines and variety.

This approach means we produce a range of wines with quite different and unique qualities. Wines like Old Vine Malbec with over 95% pure Malbec, Marpeau our Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wine, Barreyre with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

We carry out a natural secondary fermentation on the red wines, converting malic acid into lactic acid, this gives the wines a full, rounded feel in the mouth, a typical Bordeaux characteristic.

Following fermentation, the red wine is matured for almost two years before bottling at the Château.