France · Entre-Deux-Mers

Château de Reignac

Bordeaux Supérieur château in Entre Deux Mers, combining Right Bank and Left Bank terroirs with rich, ripe red wines.

The producer

Château de Reignac is a Bordeaux Supérieur estate in Entre Deux Mers, where the Dordogne and Garonne meet. The Vatelots purchased the property in 1990 after a period when its wine was sold in bulk, then restored the estate and pursued higher quality. The château includes a greenhouse designed by Gustave Eiffel. Red wines receive a cold maceration below 10°C, fermentation rising to 28°C, extended maceration at 30°C and oak ageing.

Known for

Mixed Bordeaux terroir red wines

Notable facts

The story

A Blind Tasting In 1999

In 1999, Reignac was tasted blind against Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. An American wine merchant tasted the Bordeaux Supérieur alongside the two first growths and said the Reignac "was not out of place when tasted against the two first growths." The sentence captured the immediate surprise of finding Reignac in that tasting company, and it remained attached to the event.

From the atlas

Château de Reignac

A Bordeaux Supérieur château in Entre Deux Mers, combining Right Bank and Left Bank terroir types with staged red wine extraction and oak ageing.

At A Glance

FieldDetail
RegionEntre Deux Mers
AppellationBordeaux Supérieur
WinesGrand Vin de Reignac 2018 and Château de Reignac 2020
Defining featureOne estate combining Right Bank and Left Bank terroir types

The Producer

A greenhouse designed by Gustave Eiffel stands on the grounds of Château de Reignac. The original château was built in the 16th century by Seigneur Baude de Peyron, then remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Today, Château de Reignac is a Bordeaux Supérieur estate in Entre Deux Mers. Its property brings together terroir types associated with both the Right Bank and the Left Bank. The wines are made as rich, concentrated, opulent, ripe and forward expressions of Bordeaux red wine.

Place

The Dordogne and Garonne Rivers meet at Reignac, placing the estate in Entre Deux Mers. The site combines two established Bordeaux terroir traditions within one property, instead of being defined by a single bank or named parcel.

That setting gives the estate a broad physical base for red wine production. The appellation on the named bottles is Bordeaux Supérieur, while the property itself is described through its river confluence and mixed terroir types.

Soil And Site

Reignac's ground is described through the combination of Right Bank and Left Bank terroir types, without a named soil series or single parcel. The estate therefore works as a mixed Bordeaux site, with the red wines coming from one continuous property rather than one vineyard address.

Story

Yves and Stephanie Vatelot purchased Reignac in 1990. Before their ownership, the estate was described as tired, with dull wine sold in bulk. They worked continuously to restore the property.

Yves Vatelot pursued higher quality with a fearless approach. The owners completed an estate renovation, adopted a spare no expense attitude, and consulted with Michel Rolland. Reignac's wines moved toward a crowd pleasing, forward drinking style that drinks well on release.

Vineyards And Cellar

The estate hand harvests its grapes and uses micro vinification as part of its production approach. Before fermentation, the must is held below 10°C for one to two weeks. The vat temperature then rises gradually to 28°C for alcoholic fermentation and 30°C for extended maceration. Cold maceration draws colour and aroma before alcohol develops, while extended maceration keeps the skins in contact with the fermenting wine for longer.

The 2018 Grand Vin de Reignac spent 19 months in oak. The ageing period changes with the character of each vintage. Estate renovation and consultation with Michel Rolland sit alongside these cellar choices.

Wines

The named wines are Grand Vin de Reignac 2018 and Château de Reignac 2020, both listed as Bordeaux Supérieur red wines. Grand Vin de Reignac is the more fully documented bottle in the range, with a recorded 2018 vintage and detailed tasting description.

Across the range, Reignac works in a rich, concentrated and ripe style. The wines are forward drinking, show well young and offer plenty of immediate pleasure rather than requiring long bottle ageing before they open.

In The Glass

Grand Vin de Reignac 2018 opens with espresso, chocolate covered cherries, plum and smoke. Dark fruit, fine spice, toasted oak, leather and eucalyptus add further layers to the nose.

The palate is dense and full bodied, with plush ripe dark red berries and oak. Tannins reveal gradually, good acidity keeps the balance harmonious, and the finish is lengthy.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Grand Vin de Reignac 2018. It carries the estate's Grand Vin name, the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation and a fixed 2018 vintage, while its oak élevage shows how Reignac gives a regional Bordeaux red extended time in cellar. The bottle brings the property's mixed terroir background and its modern production approach into one clearly labelled wine.

Anecdote

In 1999, Reignac was tasted blind against Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. An American wine merchant said the Reignac "was not out of place when tasted against the two first growths." The tasting placed a Bordeaux Supérieur wine beside two first growths, and the merchant's sentence became the memorable close of the event.

Final Word

Château de Reignac joins Entre Deux Mers, Right Bank and Left Bank terroir types, and a cellar programme built around cold maceration, staged fermentation, extended maceration and oak ageing.

Sources

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