Château Loupiac-Gaudiet

Village:
Loupiac
Appellation:
26ha
Loupiac
Grower:
Marc Ducau
Website:
https://www.chateau-loupiacgaudiet.com/
Downloadable PDF

Château Loupiac-Gaudiet dates from the 15th century and has been the property of the Sanfourche/Ducau family since 1920. In 1920, when the Ducau’s bought Chateau de Loupiac, they already owned the neighboring vineyard called “Gaudiet” and in this way created Chateau Loupiac-Gaudiet. The estate is situated in the village of Loupiac high above the Garonne river and directly across from the appellations of Barsac and Sauternes.

Loupiac

The soils are a mixture of clay and limestone and the vines, 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, are mostly 35 to 50 years old. The vineyard is planted on a steep hill and the Sanfourche’s alternate between plowing the rows and leaving ground cover in order to prevent erosion. Harvesting is all done by hand and it is done in stages to allow botrytis to fully affect the grapes. In an average year, the harvest takes 5 weeks with only 14 days being used for picking the grapes. The grapes are picked with a potential alc. of 17%, resulting in a finished wine of 13.5% alc. and 60 grams RS. After fermentation the wine remains “en cuve” for some months before being bottled. The château does not mature its wine in oak and is able to produces a wine that expresses the delicate flavors of botritys and the pristine balance of a wine with moderate alcohol and lively acidity.

Region: Bordeaux

The city of Bordeaux and its surrounding viticultural area are located in southwest France, in the Gironde. The area is formed around two great rivers; the Garonne which flows from the Pyrénées and the Dordogne which flows from the Massif Central. The rivers meet just north of the city of Bordeaux and flow into the Gironde estuary which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The regulating influence of the ocean and rivers, along with the temperate climate of mild winters and warm falls, have an important and beneficial effect on the vineyards...

Read Vintage Reports Return To Porfolio

As the city of Bordeaux evolved into an important port and center of trade in the eighteenth century, its political importance grew, as did the reputation of its wines. The Bordeaux merchants, who had for centuries dealt with wines from “up river” were encouraged at this time to leave behind the wines from the other southwest appellations in favor of the local wines that were given special “fast-track” privileges. Today, a few centuries later, the Bordeaux vineyards and their reputation have developed significantly. Presently, there are 53 different Bordeaux appellations comprising approximately 275,000 acres of appellation controlée vineyards. This scale of activity insures that one can never know Bordeaux, but rather, continue to discover it.

We have found Bordeaux to be an area that far exceeds its conventional association with classification systems and the relatively few “grand chateaux”. As in other regions of France, our portfolio focuses on small family estates located throughout the many Bordeaux appellations. Beyond the circles of merchants, negociants and journalists that often define Bordeaux; we have found independent vignerons working on a small scale whose deep commitment and sensitivity to their land and work results in the production of beautifully rich and diverse wines. The Bordeaux winemaker now works with centuries old viticultural traditions which are being interpreted through a lens of modern technology and a global exchange of ideas.