Château Grillet

For many years Château-Grillet belonged to middle-class families from Lyon. For example, Girard Desargues, architect, mathematician, adviser to Cardinal Richelieu and son of a family of Lyon lawyers, retired to Château-Grillet in 1648, during the civil war in France. One of his guests was his friend Blaise Pascal, also a mathematician, who visited in 1652. Pascal makes reference to his friend’s wine in his Pensées.

The property remained with the Neyret-Gachet family from 1827 to 2011, passing from one generation to the next. During this rich period, one key date was to leave an indelible mark: on 11 December 1936, the Official Journal of the French Republic announced that owner Henri Gachet had succeeded in obtaining appellation contrôlée status for the property. Château-Grillet was therefore one of the first French appellations and also one of the smallest. Even rarer, Château-Grillet is also a monopoly, an appellation with only one producer. This was recognition of the excellence of the terroir and of the wines it produces.

Château-Grillet was one of the first French appellations and also one of the smallest. Even rarer, Château-Grillet is also a monopoly, an appellation with only one producer. This was recognition of the excellence of the terroir and of the wines it produces.

The property was acquired in June 2011 by François Pinault, also owner of Château Latour in Pauillac and Domaine d’Eugénie in Vosne-Romanée. All three estates are managed by Frédéric Engerer. Château-Grillet has a rich history, illustrating perfectly the passion and devotion of many generations of men and women for this exceptional terroir. 

The vineyards of Condrieu and Château-Grillet were planted by the emperor Probus in the 3rd century AD, from plants brought from Dalmatia. Numerous mosaics preserved at the archaeological site in Saint-Roman-en-Gal (around 12km away) confirm its origins and one of them shows a harvest scene including grape crushing. The early development of the vineyards in this region is probably linked to the Pax Romana. This allowed the ancient Gallic tribe the Allobroges, whose territory included part of the right bank of the Rhône facing Vienne, to acquire Roman citizenship and therefore have the right to plant vines.

In the Middle Ages the wines of the Rhône Valley were difficult to sell in northern France, owing to the exorbitant taxes charged by towns along the route. Then, in the 17th century, sales of Rhône Valley wines began to develop in Paris, this time transported along the Loire River. It was also during this period that a small Château was built at the estate, which was later to be enlarged by successive owners.

The wines of Château-Grillet were already present in the greatest cellars of the day. Evidence of their fame comes from Thomas Jefferson’s visit to the property in 1787 and an 1814 inventory of the cellar of Château de Malmaison, residence of Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon I: among other great wines this mentions “296 bottles of Château-Grillet, valued at 592 Francs”. In 1829 James Christie bought bottles of Château-Grillet on behalf of King George IV of England. So the fame of the wine was already strongly established and its price equalled or even surpassed that of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie.

The wine was available in the greatest French restaurants of the time, most notably at Fernand Point’s legendary restaurant La Pyramide in Vienne. This great chef, considered the father of French gastronomy and the first to win three Michelin stars, was one of the most faithful ambassadors for Château-Grillet. His rich and flavourful correspondence with Mr Gachet shows the importance he attached to having this wine in his cellar. 

It was also around this time that Maurice Edmond Sailland (1872-1956), the famous gastronomic critic better known by his pen-name Curnonsky, included Château-Grillet at the heart of his famous “five great white wines of France” alongside other prestigious growths: Montrachet, Coulée de Serrant, Château Yquem and Château Chalon. Curnonsky, nicknamed the Prince of Gastronomy, spoke freely of Château-Grillet as a “très grand seigneur” (a great lord).

 Château-Grillet is located between the villages of Vérin and Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône (Loire department), on the right bank of the Rhône to the south of the town of Vienne. Since 1936 this real jewel of Nature has been one of the smallest and most prestigious French appellations producing a single white wine, one of the greatest.

The vineyard of Château-Grillet is in the form of a southern-facing amphitheatre, enjoying an exceptionally hot and sunny microclimate, protected from the winds from the north. The name “Grillet” may refer to hillsides “grilled” or burnt by the sun. The vines have an average age of 45 years and are planted on sometimes breathtakingly steep slopes. They are at 150-250 metres above sea level and spread over 76 marvellous terraces, called “chaillées”, held up by dry stone walls which have been meticulously maintained and preserved over the centuries. Ever since the Roman times, the hand of man has been required continuously to maintain these terraces, giving a sense of purpose and identity to this magical place with its mind-blowing beauty.

Château-Grillet was recognised early on by many wine lovers, writers and personalities. The property has been a national heritage site since 15 May 1976, in recognition of the beauty and the age of its vineyard and château.

The unique style of Château-Grillet derives from careful vinification techniques, respecting the greatness of the terroir. A fascinating adventure.

After the harvest, each selection of vineyard parcels is pressed separately. Pressing is gentle and respects the grapes. This is a crucial step which requires continued oversight and a lot of precision. A new tank room was installed before the 2012 vintage, with small stainless-steel, temperature-controlled tanks. This has given the team the chance to be able to vinify each different selection separately and with precision. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place in tank or in barrel, according to the lot.  Ageing for 18 months takes place in French oak barrels, with a low proportion of new oak, around 20%.

The blending is crucial, as this is the moment when it is decided which wines will go together to make up Château-Grillet. Very strict selection is applied, so that only the very greatest wines are selected for the final blend of Château-Grillet.

Starting with the 2011 vintage, another wine has been produced at the property. Pontcin, a Côtes-du-Rhône, is made from wines which don’t quite make the grade for Château-Grillet but nevertheless offer very nice fruit and plenty of charm. Pontcin is the place name of an area within the property.