Margaux and Haut-Médoc reds, sandy-gravelly terroir, and vineyard-funded art patronage.
The producer
Château d’Arsac is a Margaux-focused estate with a Haut-Médoc bottling and sandy-gravelly terroir shaped by the Gironde estuary. Philippe Raoux bought the property, replanted the vineyard and restored the buildings. The Margaux red wine combines Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with vinification in stainless steel tanks followed by French oak ageing. A new artwork has joined the collection every year through patronage funded by the vineyard itself.
Known for
Margaux reds and vineyard art
Notable facts
The estate has roots in the 12th century, when it belonged to the Lords of Arsac.
Philippe Raoux purchased Château d’Arsac in 1986 and undertook vineyard replanting and building restoration.
Château d’Arsac was classified as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2020.
Since 1990, a new artwork has joined the collection every year through patronage funded by the vineyard itself.
The story
Starting Over in Arsac
Philippe Raoux arrived at Château d'Arsac in 1986 to find the estate in extended decline: many vines past productive age, some parcels effectively abandoned, buildings in poor repair. He chose not to restore what was there but to replant, clearing large sections of vineyard and starting again on the Arsac gravel and clay. The process took the better part of a decade, and the estate produced very little wine under the Château d'Arsac label through the late 1980s. When the replanted vines came into production in the early 1990s, the bottles coming out of the cellar went alongside something new in the Margaux appellation: large-scale contemporary sculptures, placed by Raoux among the vine rows, turning the working vineyard into one of the first open-air art spaces on a left-bank estate.
From Replanting To Art
In 1986, Philippe Raoux purchased Château d’Arsac and undertook replanting of the vineyard and restoration of the buildings. Four years later, a new artwork began joining the collection every year through an original patronage model funded by the vineyard itself. The estate’s history reached back to the Lords of Arsac in the 12th century. The current château was built in the 1830s, long after the Lords of Arsac held the property.
From the atlas
Château d’Arsac
Château d’Arsac makes Margaux and Haut-Médoc reds, with a Cabernet Sauvignon-led wine and an annual art patronage funded by vineyard operations.
At A Glance
Fact
Detail
Appellations
Margaux and Haut-Médoc
Margaux red wine
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Classification
Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
Signature bottle
Château d’Arsac
Defining feature
Vineyard-funded art patronage
The Producer
The Lords of Arsac held this estate in the 12th century, and the current château was built in the 1830s. Philippe Raoux purchased it in 1986, then undertook significant vineyard replanting and restoration of the buildings. Château d’Arsac was classified as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2020.
Since 1990, a new artwork has joined the collection every year through an original patronage model funded by the vineyard itself.
Place
Château d’Arsac works across Margaux and Haut-Médoc, with most of its acreage in Margaux. The Margaux appellation covers the red blend, while the Haut-Médoc name appears on a separate red bottling under Château d’Arsac.
The site is sandy-gravelly and shaped by the influence of the Gironde estuary. Sandy gravel drains freely, reducing standing water around vine roots, a basic condition that helps red grapes ripen without sitting in wet ground.
Wines
The range has two appellation addresses, Margaux and Haut-Médoc. The Margaux red blend uses 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks, followed by 12 months of ageing in French oak barrels.
Stainless steel is neutral during fermentation, while French oak brings controlled oxygen and wood contact during élevage, which can soften texture and add spice. The Haut-Médoc bottling carries the Château d’Arsac name under the second appellation.
Final Word
Château d’Arsac is a Margaux-focused estate with a Haut-Médoc bottling, sandy-gravelly terroir shaped by Gironde estuary influence, and an art collection funded by vineyard operations.