Discovering the next best thing

In 2014, Bernard Canonne, a businessman from Franche Comté who had previously owned vines in Saint Emilion, fell in love with Prieuré Marquet. He quickly acquired the property and its magnificent manor house. The property’s wines have gained in precision since 2014, with a rich 2015, whose style offers a judicious blend of dark fruit and freshness that give this sun-soaked vintage admirable balance. Château Prieuré Marquet 2015 received much praise. This wine has found just the right balance between delicate notes of white flowers and a shimmering spicy roundness (pepper, liquorice). The extremely fine texture of the tannins gives it a wonderful silkiness.

The first major task in the vineyard is pruning. Very aware that while it is necessary to prune the vines in order to produce grapes, we are nevertheless “wounding” them, we take great care to treat these wounds and allow the vines to reach their full potential.

Our philosophy is to understand and live with nature : this year we left the damaged grapes to be taken away by the ants - an initiative that, along with many others, requires a great deal of labour for each plot. The wines are aged in 350 litre barrels and 60 hectolitre stainless-steel vats for 12 to 18 months, sometimes more, depending on the wines’ potential - each wine having a capacity to age for 5 to 20 years.