Château de Sales - Pomerol 2025 (Primeurs)

The long driveway leading to this 16th-century château beautifully sets the stage for Pomerol’s most stunning building, which has belonged to the de Lambert family for five centuries. The family owns the largest amount of land in the appellation.

Fragrant floral and strawberry aromas, with hints of Cabernet, mint, blackcurrant leaf, tobacco, and cola. Ripe and full-bodied, yet with a lovely freshness. Charming elegance and freshness: it’s finely structured, with slightly grainy tannins that lend a salty, chalky touch on the palate. I love the fresh notes of blueberry—long on the finish, structured but not firm, not muscular, rather slender and lively. A truly accomplished style that offers everything one could wish for. Perhaps it lacks a bit of complexity for now, but its finesse and drinkability are beyond reproach. pH 3.65. Aging: 15% in new barrels, 70% in one-year-old barrels, and 15% in concrete tanks. Harvest: September 5–17. Marie-Laure Latorre (agricultural engineer and oenologist) was appointed general manager in September 2025, after leaving Château Jean Faure in Saint-Émilion, where she led large-scale technical, commercial, and restructuring projects. 2033–2035

Vincent Montigaud has been the director of operations since 2017, succeeding Bruno de Lambert, who retired. With 47.5 hectares—making it the largest estate in the appellation—Château de Sales has been owned by the de Lambert family for 550 years. The estate is currently headed by a member of the family, Marine Treppoz. Two wines are produced here: Château de Sales and Château Chantalouette, the second wine.

On the outskirts of the town of Libourne, with its majestic park stretching out before it, the Château de Sales has been in the same family for five centuries. Defying the vicissitudes of history and inheritance taxes—which have become confiscatory for many winemaking families—the appellation’s largest wine estate has never felt the need to join the race for roundness and opulence. With its distinctive terroir of fine gravel, Château de Sales remains faithful to a refined, classic, and delicate style, with minimal oak influence—a style that is undeniably back in vogue and deserves the full attention of wine enthusiasts. While the stylistic direction appears firmly maintained, 2017 marks a year of change for this historic estate: Marine Treppoz, a new president of the operating company that brings together many cousins, and Vincent Montigaud, a native of Libourne, as the new director.

A well-structured, precise, and full-bodied red wine with aromas of red cherries and red currants. Medium-bodied, it features fine, firm tannins and lively acidity. Lively, it offers a flavorful finish and excellent length on the palate.

The bouquet unfolds subtly, with a delightful attention to detail where the various elements are balanced perfectly! A revealing opening where freshness and fruity expression complement each other. The slightly creamy attack heralds a delicate and elegant development. You can clearly sense the care taken not to overdo it, to let the wine express itself, and to create a balance between character and vigor. A wine that stays true to its path toward finesse and depth. Aging should help it develop a more robust mid-palate.