Haut-Montravel

The Haut-Montravel Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) comes primarily from the exceptional terroir of the Montravel appellation.

The hillsides that make up most of the Montravel AOC terroir extend eastward from those of Saint-Emilion and Côtes de Castillon. To the west, they mark the entrance to the Bergerac vineyards. These first foothills of the Périgord Pourpre also mark the boundary between the oceanic and continental climates. It is here, at Montravel, that the tidal bore, a wave that rolls up the Dordogne River with each tide, comes to an end.

Covering nearly 2,000 hectares, the clay-limestone hillsides of Montravel are very favorable for red grape varieties: Merlot, which is widely dominant on these clay soils, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec, planted at high density (minimum 5,000 vines/hectare), express in their blend all the complexity of this great terroir, recognized as AOC Montravel red since the 2001 vintage. While this first AOC of the 21st century is exemplary in terms of its strict production conditions and its resolutely "terroir" positioning, it is also quite unique in terms of wine approval. It is in fact the first French AOC for still wine to be tasted for approval of each vintage after final bottling. This pioneering method guarantees consumers perfect traceability and places Montravel at the forefront of AOCs of excellence.

Haut-Montravel wines are white, fine and smooth, more concentrated, and sometimes even sweet. The latter, with their beautiful aromatic complexity, have excellent aging potential.