A Bordeaux house spanning château bottlings, Sauvignon Blanc and concentrated red wines.
The producer
Founded in 1840, Dourthe manages eight owned châteaux across Bordeaux appellations. Dourthe N°1 is entirely Sauvignon Blanc, with lemon and grapefruit aromas, fruity richness, a long aromatic finish and salinity. Essence de Dourthe brings a deep crimson appearance, ripe fresh black berries, spice, black cherry and blackcurrant on a smooth palate. The range also includes Château Belgrave, whose 2023 vintage used 32% new oak during aging.
Known for
Bordeaux châteaux and house wines
Notable facts
Château Belgrave 2019 has flowers, tobacco leaf, plums, smoke, espresso and cassis on the nose.
The Château Belgrave 2019 palate combines sweet black and red berries with spice and coffee bean.
The story
The Label Without a Château
When the label for Dourthe Numéro 1 was being finalised, the standard Bordeaux option was a château illustration — a building, a name, the visual implication of a specific address. Dourthe did not do this. The label carried clean typography, the house name, and a number: no estate drawing, no implied landscape, nothing beyond the Bordeaux appellation. The choice reflected how the wine was built — Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon selected from growers across multiple Bordeaux appellations each vintage, blended at the Parempuyre facility to hold the same flavour profile regardless of where the season had been most difficult. French and British supermarkets listed it as a branded alternative to château wine, and Numéro 1 became one of the highest-volume labels sold under the basic Bordeaux AOP. The label — a number, a house name, and the appellation — remains unchanged.
From the atlas
Vins et Vignobles Dourthe
At A Glance
Region
Bordeaux, France
Founded
1840
Portfolio
Owned châteaux and Dourthe bottlings
Named grape
Sauvignon Blanc
The Producer
Vins et Vignobles Dourthe manages eight owned châteaux across Bordeaux appellations: Château Belgrave, Château Le Boscq, Château La Garde, Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac, Château Rahoul, Château Reysson, Château Pey La Tour and Château de Ricaud.
The company frames its work around the wealth and diversity of Bordeaux terroirs. Its range places wines under the Dourthe name alongside bottlings from individual châteaux, with white and red wines represented among the selected releases.
Place
Dourthe N°1 links its mineral character to limestone terroir in Bordeaux.
Wines
Dourthe N°1 is made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc. Lemon and grapefruit lead its citrus aromas, followed by fruity richness, a long aromatic finish and a hint of salinity.
Essence de Dourthe has a deep, concentrated appearance with crimson tinting. Its bouquet combines ripe, fresh black berries with spicy notes. Black cherry and blackcurrant emerge across a smooth palate, accented by delicate sweet spice.
Château Belgrave 2023 was aged with 32% new oak. The 2019 vintage opens with flowers, tobacco leaf, plums, smoke, espresso and cassis. Its palate carries sweet black and red berries, a spicy kick and a touch of coffee bean.