France · Sauternes & Sweet Wines

Chateau de Cerons, SAS Xavier et Caroline Perromat Domaines

Château de Cérons makes Graves reds and whites and sweet Cérons from a gravel plateau over marine limestone.

The producer

Château de Cérons is a 30 hectare estate in the village of Cérons, with 27 hectares under vine. Xavier Perromat and Caroline took over from his parents in 2012, continuing a seventh generation family line. The range covers Graves red and white wines and sweet Cérons, with five hectares dedicated to the Cérons AOC. Its vineyard lies on a gravel plateau over marine limestone, and its restored gravity fed cellar uses concrete tanks for red fermentation and stainless steel tanks for white wines.

Known for

Graves and sweet Cérons wines

Notable facts

The story

The 2012 handover

In 2012, Xavier Perromat and his wife Caroline took over Château de Cérons from his parents. Xavier represented the seventh generation of his family to make wine. The couple opened the estate for wine tourism in the same year and continue welcoming visitors. The château is a vineyard Chartreuse built at the end of the 17th century and has been listed as a supplementary historic monument since 2008. The new owners therefore began their tenure with both a family succession and a public opening at the historic Cérons property.

From the atlas

Château de Cérons

A Bordeaux estate making Graves red and white wines alongside sweet Cérons made from Sémillon affected by morning mists from the Ciron River.

At A Glance

RegionBordeaux, France
AppellationsGraves and Cérons AOC
VillageCérons
Main grapesSémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Muscadelle
Signature wineSweet Cérons wine
Historic propertyChartreuse built at the end of the 17th century

The Producer

In 2012, Xavier Perromat and his wife Caroline took over Château de Cérons from his parents. Xavier represents the seventh generation of his family to make wine. The estate spans 30 hectares in total, with 27 hectares dedicated to vines.

The wines cover Graves red and white wines alongside sweet Cérons. The family estate combines a broad vineyard holding with a small Cérons AOC allocation, giving the range both dry wine categories and a sweet wine shaped by noble rot.

Place

Château de Cérons stands in the village of Cérons in Bordeaux. Its vineyard sits on a gravel plateau with marine limestone subsoil. Five hectares are dedicated to the sweet Cérons AOC.

The nearby Ciron River creates morning mists that facilitate noble rot in Sémillon grapes. Those affected grapes become the basis for sweet Cérons, while the Graves wines occupy the red and white sides of the estate's range.

Wines

The Graves red is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. It expresses intensity, tannins and mineral character. The Graves white is composed of 50% Sémillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Sauvignon Gris.

La Quille Rouge is a secondary label with red fruit expression. La Quille Blanc is a secondary label with minerality and citrus aromas. Sweet Cérons wines are composed of 95% Sémillon and 5% Muscadelle, and the 2018 Cérons bottling is a sweet wine from the château.

Final Word

The restored gravity fed cellar was built in 1960 and is one of the earliest gravity fed cellars in Bordeaux. Concrete tanks handle red wine fermentation, while small stainless steel tanks are used for white wines.

Sources

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