Château Maucaillou

Château Maucaillou takes its name from an old expression, a combination of the words “mauvais” (bad) and “caillou” (pebble), referring to soil that is unsuitable for crops but ideal for vines. This vineyard is located in Moulis-en-Médoc, in the Haut-Médoc region, between Margaux and Saint-Julien.

Château Maucaillou was built in 1875, and its vineyard is one of the oldest in the Médoc region. At that time, it comprised 3 hectares of vines. Maucaillou is, above all, a family story marked by passion and patience. Originally, the château resembled a baroque dream, halfway between the Renaissance style and the Arcachon villa, a style popular in the Médoc at the end of the 19th century. Roger and André Dourthe, two brothers passionate about wine, arrived at the estate and spared no effort to make it thrive, expanding it to 20 hectares by 1967

Roger Dourthe’s son, Philippe, managed the Maucaillou estate until 2007. During this time, he expanded the estate by adding 67 hectares of vineyards, firmly establishing Maucaillou as one of the three leading estates in the Moulis appellation and bringing its total area to 87 hectares. Philippe Dourthe worked in the wine industry for many years. For 15 years, he served as President of the Moulis Appellation Association. In 2007, he passed the torch to his children: Caroline (head of public relations—Museum of Vine and Wine Arts and Crafts), Magali (technical director), and Pascal (Chairman of the Board and estate manager). This sibling trio, whose talents complement each other perfectly, is determined to carry on the Dourthe legacy.

Château Maucaillou uses state-of-the-art winemaking equipment that is frequently held up as a model. The owner favors low-temperature fermentation during the initial days to extract the full essence of the grapes’ fruit aromas, resulting in a delicate and precise extraction. Then, at the end of fermentation, the temperature is raised to extract the finest tannins and color. Château Maucaillou wine is built for aging and has a long finish. The two words that best define the Maucaillou style are finesse and richness. The grapes are harvested by hand, and the vineyard is managed sustainably, with an annual production of approximately 600,000 bottles.

The vineyards of Château Maucaillou are situated on beautiful hillsides composed of Quaternary alluvial deposits, largely derived from the Garonne’s Güntz gravel layer—the very foundation of the Médoc’s Grands Crus Classés. The well-balanced blend includes the classic Médoc grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

Maucaillou red wine boasts a magnificent color. It is rich in subtle tannins that give it its remarkable finish. It is the result of the combination of three essential elements cultivated by successive generations of winemakers:

- a rigorous selection process during the grape harvest;

- a meticulous winemaking process in large temperature-controlled tanks (with automatic temperature control);

- a barrel cellar housing 2,600 oak barrels, which are regularly replaced.

Thanks to the unique qualities of its terroir and the loving, passionate care devoted to winemaking, barrel aging, and bottling, the wines of Château Maucaillou achieve exceptional quality that rivals that of many Médoc Grand Crus Classés. Maucaillou wines have earned numerous accolades and prestigious awards.