Château La Cabanne
A family story. In these rather simple words, we could summarize the fate of many properties in Bordeaux. But here, at Château La Cabanne, this expression takes on its full meaning.
From the roots of Corrèze, a Girondine ambition
In 1912, on the verge of a world war that would redefine Europe, a family from Corrèze settled in Gironde. The Estagers, wine merchants, follow a fairly common route for the region. But their perseverance will lead them further.
In 1934, after years of hard work, they acquired their first vineyard: the château La Papeterie, on the terroir of Montagne Saint-Émilion. A symbolic step: from wine merchants, they become producers. The family adventure takes a new turn.
The desire to explore other terroirs pushes the Estager family to expand its heritage. In 1952, they acquired the château La Cabanne, located west of the Pomerol plateau. Other properties will be added later, including the castles of Haut-Maillet and Plincette in Pomerol, the Domaine de Gachet in Lalande de Pomerol, as well as the Domaine des Gourdins in Saint-Émilion.
This 9-hectare vineyard is part of a mythical area, where the greatest names of the right bank are born, such as the illustrious Petrus, for example. The soils, composed of blue and red clays as well as gravels, are rich in iron oxide - a geological signature specific to Pomerol wines, which contributes to their complexity and world fame.
The vineyard is now planted with 94% of Merlot and 6% of Cabernet Franc - a typical right-bank grape variety where Merlot reigns supreme. Moreover, in some years, such as 2017 or 2023, François Estager opts for 100% Merlot cuvées, assumed and affirmed.
More recently, a small plot has been planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, a heat-demanding grape variety, which finds its place here on deep gravels. This project remains in the test stage; there is no guarantee of its future integration into the assembly.
Respect for the vineyard, terroir and biodiversity is at the heart of the family philosophy. This commitment was recognized with the achievement of organic farming certification for the 2024 vintage. A difficult, stressful year marked by important technical choices to guarantee a wine faithful to its roots and identity.
For François Estager, it is a promise to the consumer: that of a Pomerol wine that reflects both its terroir and the family heritage handed down for more than a century.
A modernized cellar for exceptional wines
A fire in 2010 tragically destroyed the winery, taking with it the entire 2008 vintage (a vintage that you will not find on the market, beware of counterfeits). This event led to the complete renovation of the cellar in 2011. Today, the wine-making tool is at the cutting edge: after harvesting and rigorous sorting, the grapes are vinified in truncated tanks with thermo-regulated walls.
A cold pre-fermentation gently extracts the color and fruity aromas. The work is piecemeal, precise, and long macerations are carried out gently, just like the remontages, in order to preserve freshness and refine tannic extraction.
Ageing takes place in oak barrels from five cooperages, of which on average 55% are made up of new wood, the rest being in one-wine casks. A small part of the production can also be raised in vats according to the specifications of the vintage.
The final assembly is carried out in close collaboration with the oenologist Thomas Duclos, in a process of demand and stylistic consistency. The wine is then bottled at the château. Part of it is sold via Place de Bordeaux, the other is kept on the estate.
For more than a century, the Estager family has been making wines that are sincere, seductive and faithful to this exceptional terroir. Today, François Estager is taking an important turn. The latest Primeurs campaign, which combines the marketing of the 2024 vintage with the rediscovery of emblematic vintages such as 2009, 2010 and 2016.
The Château La Cabanne continues its journey, between respect for heritage and adaptation to the world of tomorrow - always with wine as a universal language between generations.