Lalande de Pomerol estate with Merlot led wines, organic farming and agroecological work under Benjamin Hessel.
The producer
Château des Annereaux is a Lalande de Pomerol estate on Bordeaux's Right Bank. Gravel, sand, clay and large pebbles make up the vineyard ground. Benjamin Hessel manages the estate with a strong agroecological focus, alongside organic farming practices and measures such as hedgerows, beehives, fruit trees, bird and bat boxes and solar panels. The wines include Château des Annereaux and Le Benjamin. Le Benjamin is fermented in concrete vats and matured in tanks, with Merlot and Petit Verdot in its composition.
Known for
Merlot led Lalande de Pomerol wines
Notable facts
The Annereau family inhabited the Lalande de Pomerol lands by 1390.
The original manor was probably constructed around 1598.
Organic farming practices have been used since 2007.
Château des Annereaux became the first Bordeaux wine estate to earn B Corp certification in 2023.
The story
Caroline Faces Phylloxera
In the late 1800s, Caroline Soehnée was a young widow when she took over Château des Annereaux during the devastating phylloxera crisis. Phylloxera attacks grapevine roots. Grafting joins a fruiting vine variety to a resistant rootstock, while the rootstock provides the rooted part of the plant. Soehnée led rigorous scientific trials on grafting and rootstocks to save the vineyard. Her experiments shaped the vineyard's future while the crisis threatened the estate's vines.
From the atlas
Château des Annereaux
Lalande de Pomerol estate where Merlot led wines meet organic and agroecological farming.
At A Glance
Appellation
Lalande de Pomerol
Region
Bordeaux Right Bank
Main grapes
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot
Farming
Organic practices with agroecological measures
The Producer
Bird and bat boxes sit among hedgerows, beehives and fruit trees at Château des Annereaux. The Lalande de Pomerol estate on Bordeaux's Right Bank is managed by Benjamin Hessel, who joined for the 2013 harvest. He carries on the château's legacy with a strong agroecological focus. Organic farming practices shape the estate's work, alongside solar panels and habitat measures across the grounds. The estate makes Château des Annereaux and Le Benjamin.
Place
The Lalande de Pomerol appellation occupies Bordeaux's Right Bank, where the vineyard lies on gravelly, sandy and clay soils with large pebbles. Gravel and pebbles let rainwater move away quickly, while clay holds moisture around the roots. Sand warms readily and keeps the soil open. In a red Bordeaux vineyard, those different water and heat behaviours affect ripening, fruit weight and freshness.
Story
Benjamin Hessel joined Château des Annereaux for the 2013 harvest and became manager. His work carries the château's legacy forward with a strong agroecological focus. Hedgerows, beehives, fruit trees, bird and bat boxes and solar panels form part of the estate's farming measures. The programme combines vine cultivation with planted habitat, pollinator support, wildlife shelter and solar power.
Wines
Two named wines define the range. Château des Annereaux 2018 is composed of 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is medium to full bodied and understated, with soft tannins, freshness and a mineral finish.
Le Benjamin is 95% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It is fermented in concrete vats and matured in tanks. The wine has a dark garnet colour, blackcurrant and black cherry aromas, plus peppery and smoky spice from the Petit Verdot. The two bottles differ in grape composition and cellar vessels.
Final Word
The estate's range brings together Lalande de Pomerol, Merlot led wines and agroecological farming. Château des Annereaux and Le Benjamin give those choices two distinct bottle forms.