Château Meyney

St-Estèphe, a denomination in the Bordeaux wine region, has sometimes been less valued than its neighbours. From the point of view of Anne Le Naour, technical director and manager of Château Meyney, one of the wineries that is part of this AOC, she believes that the distance between St. Estèphe and the city of Bordeaux, which is an hour and a half versus 40 minutes to Margaux, may make it less desirable. But most importantly, the traditional ability that the wines have had to age in Margaux and St-Julien, which has allowed them to present themselves with a brilliant elegance, have possibly overshadowed the wines of St-Estèphe, which are seen as more rustic. It is thanks to better decisions in the vineyard and in winemaking that the wines of St-Estèphe have earned their place by being complex and elegant. Château Meyney, one of the oldest estates in the Médoc dating back to 1661, is able to produce some of the best wines in the world due to the presence of a unique gravel soil and the professional management of Anne Le Naour and her team. Owned by the main wine-supporting bank in France, Crédit Agricole Group (sometimes referred to as “la banque verte” due to its historical connections with agriculture), they present their eponymous Château Meyney wine to show that St-Estèphe has nothing to envy in its neighbouring denominations.

The secret of Château Meyney lies in the composition of its soils. An estate that occupies an exceptional position in St Estèphe, with some of the best hills in the Gironde and whose Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines are planted in a terroir of well-drained layers of stones and gravel that provide the perfect conditions for optimal vine growth. A total of 51 hectares of vineyards that, as well as offering a majestic and serene landscape, allow them to create perfect grapes, the result of respectful and exhaustive care. Once harvested by hand, the must rests in the winery for several days in contact with the skins, then ferments at a controlled temperature and continues to macerate for 30 days before being filtered. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation in new barrels and is aged for approximately 18 months in French oak barrels (30-40% new).

This makes Château Meyney a masterpiece of the attractive character of Saint-Estèphe. A complex, intense and full-bodied wine that confirms the quality of the terroirs of this Bordeaux region and the professionalism built up over the centuries of its château’s history. A real gem with an extraordinary aging potential.