When Versailles comes to interfere on the right bank of Bordeaux.
Trianon, or, when the history of France invites itself to Saint-Emilion. At first glance, this small building under construction could make you think of a small castle among many others. And yet, believe me that it is one of the castles to watch over the next few years, and I am weighing my words. Full of projects in mind, Dominique Hébrard and his teams want to make this building an essential place in the vineyard.
A unique story
It was at the end of the 17th century that we find the first trace of Château Trianon. At that time, one of the advisers of King Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, had a small castle built on the Saint-Emilion area. He wanted to build this castle in the purest Versailles style that we know. For the little anecdote, it is the only castle named Trianon during the lifetime of Louis XIV.
He called the wines of Saint-Emilion "Nectar of the gods". At this time, the Saint-Emilionnais already shone among the greatest terroirs.
For years, Château Trianon was just a small castle surrounded by a few hectares of vines. Belonging to various families, it was in 2000 that the destiny of the castle changed. Then owned by the Lecointre family, the latter decided to sell the castle mainly for succession reasons. It was then that Dominique Hebrard (former co-owner of Château Cheval-Blanc) decided to buy the property. Wishing to launch a new challenge and start from scratch, he took the reins of an estate in poor condition but promised a bright future with several works.
An exceptional terroir
The château is located at the western end of the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation, not far from the second flagship appellation on the right bank, Pomerol. When you are on the castle terrace, facing the vineyard, raise your arm in front of you and look at the horizon. You will see the illustrious Château Figeac, in its alignment you will have the Château Cheval-Blanc then behind, the no less famous Pétrus. It is therefore easy to understand that we are here on an exceptional terroir. The soil is clayey-sandy on iron filth and has, for some plots, some gravel.
The estate is made up of 16ha, of which 14.5 are in one piece. The grape variety is composed of 78% Merlot, 14% Cabernet-Franc, 5% Cabernet-Sauvignon and 3% Carmenère. The latter is an autochthonous grape variety of Bordeaux, but very little used, which makes its presence very singular and gives the wine such a particular character.
Today the castle has been certified HVE3 (High Environmental Value level 3) since March 16, 2020, but also ISO 14001-2015 since August 12, 2020. These various certifications once again prove the very particular attention that the castle pays to the respect for its land.
A perfect mastery of its terroir
Upon his arrival at the château, Dominique Hebrard decided to undertake several major works in order to extract the best from his soil.
At first, he uprooted several hectares of plots, which were in poor condition, and therefore unworthy of producing a wine that lived up to his expectations. Then he had all the drainage of the vineyard redone. Then, he has vines replanted on the orphan plots. Once these projects are completed, it is the touch of the winegrower and his teams who will do the rest.
Throughout the vegetative cycle, particular attention is paid to the vine, to its development, but also to respect for its terroir. It must be said that Dominique Hebrard is not at his first attempt. Through his rich experience acquired in the past, he never ceases to seek the best for his vines: suitable pruning, disbudding, thinning, etc. He prefers quality to quantity and no one can blame him for that. Requirement is the key word.
During the harvest, he pays particular attention to the selection of the grapes but also to the sorting, he is uncompromising before the vinification. The objective is to work the most beautiful grapes possible.
Work in the cellar
Les vinifications sont parcellaires, pour tirer le meilleur de chaque parcelle. Le cuvier est composé de cuves bétons (classiques et tronconiques inversées) et de cuves inox. Chaque cuve est thermorégulée pour apporter plus d’efficacité et de précision quant à l’extraction des arômes et des tanins.
The aging is done in new oak barrels, but also in oak barrels of 1 wine, for a period of approximately 14 to 16 months. The premier cru generally benefits from an aging of 50% new barrels and 50% barrels of 1 wine. The second wine, called Le Petit Trianon, benefits from aging 100% in barrels of 1 wine.
The future, a daily project
As you may have noticed, the castle is currently undergoing renovation. Indeed, since 2019 work has been undertaken to restore the shine to the main building. Two wings are also under construction. It will be to be mistaken, won't it, will we be in Saint-Emilion or in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles?
Needless to insist on the fact that the castle is in full development. The vine being mastered and the wine in constant progression, it is now necessary to undertake a new project, that of making the castle shine aesthetically speaking. For this, several projects are in progress, so let's be patient, but I can already tell you that it will be great and that Trianon will be talked about in the years to come.