Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey

Le Clos, whose name Peyraguey means promontory, is a jewel of vines lulled by the sun and fed by the mists of Ciron river which allow growing velvet beans that give a unique and prestigious golden wine: Sauternes of Clos Haut Peyraguey. The vineyard of Clos Haut-Peyraguey, nestled at the highest point of the plateau of Bommes in Sauternes is at the heart of the Premiers Grands Crus in 1855. It sits opposite the Chateau d'Yquem, and its immediate neighbors are called Rayne- Vigneau, Sigalas-Rabaud, Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Castle, Guiraud and La Tour Blanche!

This ancient barony acquired in the eighteenth century by Monsieur Pichard - then President of the Parliament of Bordeaux - has enjoyed through the decades a unique terroir and climatic conditions combined with an ancestral know-how enabling it to make its grapes play, a symphony excellence.

When classified in 1855, the area was called Château Peyraguey. In 1879 the Estate was split in two. One part was called Lafaurie-Peyraguey as a tribute to Mr. Lafaurie (former owner) who gave the Château its fame and the highest land on top of Bommes hill, was named Clos Haut-Peyraguey.

It is in 2012 that Bernard Magrez acquired Clos Haut-Peyraguey to the Pauly family who ran the property since 1914. In order to perpetuate the excellence of the Premier Grand Cru Classé of Sauternes but also to give it an international reputation, Bernard Magrez ensures make meticulous care in the vineyard is in the tradition but also innovation to produce a unique wine: high-Peyraguey Clos, Sauternes Insiders.

Clos Haut-Peyraguey with 12 ha of vineyard - including 8 ha spread on one-piece area -, situated nearby Ciron river (a tributary of the Garonne river), sees its vines lying between 50 and 80 meters on a complex gravelly-sandy soils that appeal to Semillon grapes variety (covering almost the whole area) and Sauvignon grape variety. In the vineyards, the gestures are those of sustainable agriculture.

Replacing the vine plants by complantation, which means by replacing the plant in the ranks and not replacing the entire plots. Once the famous botrytis (noble rot) appeared on the grapes, the harvest is manual and done in several passages, retaining only the most concentrated grape sugar and flavorings.

Batch fermentation is carried out for fifteen to twenty days in local temperate at 22 ° C in temperature-regulated tanks.In the winery, after a slow and progressive pressing, the fermentation and maturing take place in new oak barrels or old wine, the proportions varying according to the richness of musts. Breeding takes about 20 months in new oak barrels to 20%. Bottling is made at the Château 22 months after the harvest.

The vineyard of Clos Haut-Peyraguey is composed of gravelly sandy soils over clay subsoil, soil traversed by veins of clay and sandy soils. This diversity is directly related to the quality of the terroir of the Clos. These different soil profiles and character differences brought to the grape (structure, bold, power, and associated with great finesse, complexity and elegance) play an undeniable role in the aromatic richness and complexity of the wine of Clos Haut-Peyraguey.

The controlled planting of vineyards allows tracking patch quality and helps managing the grapes picking all according to a fully sustainable agriculture. The northeast orientation of the majority of plots gives a combination of sun and morning fog to the grapes. This also fosters an excellent ripening of the grapes and the development of botrytis cinerea, the famous noble rot which gives the Sauternes of Clos Haut-Peyraguey its unique character and flavor.

Pressing is carried out in the reception room of the harvest, with 2 pneumatic presses. Press cycles are long and gradual, in order to extract the best complex aromas contained in the grapes. The juice flows by gravity into a subterranean tank. 

Once pressed grapes, a light racking is performed under controlled temperature and turbidity of the must, in order to isolate the most numerous impurities from the press juice. Then the musts are sung in new barrels into the fermentation cellar. Once the desired balance achieved, the wines are chilled for several hours at 4 ° C. The wine is then racked, sulphite and sung in farmed winery. Each batch of wine is aged separately. This allows judging the quality in the evolution of the wine. Each batch is tested and tasted regularly, and at this stage pre-assemblies are made. The bonding can clarify and refine the wine before bottling. Many micro-tests are carried out to adapt the best method and the best dose on a large scale. No operation is systematic. After completing these actions, the final assembly of the wine can be achieved. 

Then comes the time of bottling taking place at the property according to very precise quality criteria. Rigor and constant quest for excellence are key words to Clos Haut-Peyraguey. Expertise, are in addition to all the steps that make Clos Haut-Peyraguey the Sauternes of the insiders, a Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855.

Peyraguey whose name means hill or promontory, is an ancient barony acquired in the eighteenth century by the President of Bordeaux Parliament, Mister Pichard who was guillotined during the French Revolution. It is at this point that Mr. Lafaurie acquired the Estate under the name of Pichard-Lafaurie.

Between 1864 and 1879 the property went from the hands of Mr. Saint Rieul Dupouy to the ones of Count Duchatel. When sharing the legacy in 1879, the area was then divided in two: one part was named Lafaurie-Peyraguey as a tribute to Mr. Lafaurie who had given fame and prestige to the Estate, and the highest land on top of Bommes hill, was named Clos Haut-Peyraguey. The latter were then acquired by a Parisian pharmacist, Mr. Grillon.

In 1914, Eugène Garbay, Jacques Pauly's great grandfather, purchased the Clos Haut-Peyraguey with Fernand Ginestet (he was already the owner of the Château Haut-Bommes). Several years later, Monsieur Ginestet left his share to the family business. Eugène Garbay offered both properties to his grandsons, Bernard and Pierre, who exploited both properties for many years.

Martine Langlais-Pauly, born in the residential buildings of the property, saw his grandfather and his great-uncle Bernard and Peter, working in the vineyard and winery with his father Jacques Pauly. After 50 years of tireless work and passion, his father Jacques Pauly, then aged 75 years, handed over the management of Clos Haut-Peyraguey to his daughter.

It is in 2012 that Bernard Magrez acquires the Clos Haut-Peyraguey to the Pauly family to perpetuate the excellence of this Sauternes but also to give it an international renown.