Château de Ricaud

Run by the Thiénot family for a quarter of a century, Château de Ricaud is a magnificent neo-gothic property surrounded by parklands of 300-year old trees. The property dates back to the 15th century, when Gaston de Foix elevated “Ricault” in status, which at the time was owned by Chevalier Bernard Lamensans. The original Château was destroyed by the Dukes of Eperon in 1650, and rebuilt by François de Fleurier in 1674, only to take on its current form in 1865, when the architect Alphonse Blaquière redesigned the château in neo-gothic style, inspired by work carried out by Viollet-Le-Duc. During the period 1882 - 1910, William Wells planted a vineyard spanning almost 30 hectares, tended by his son Maurice in his quest to reveal its true worth. As early as 1897, Loupiac wines produced on the property won various accolades in London, Brussels and Paris. After the death of Maurice Wells in 1954, the property slowly lost its way until its purchase in 1980 by Alain Thiénot, who had fallen under the charm of a bottle of Château de Ricaud 1929 in a top restaurant in Paris.

Set in the midst of a natural ampitheatre, the Château de Ricaud vineyards stretch in a single block across some of the most magnificent slopes in the region, and enjoy natural drainage and perfect aspect. To realise the full potential of the terroir, an ambitious investment plan was launched in 2007. A highly detailed mapping of the soils and subsoils revealed complex, diverse terroirs unique to the Cadillac appellation and identified 50 distinctive vineyard plots. 45 ha of vines were grubbed up and replanted with just 31 hectares of varietals and rootstocks perfectly adapted to the soils.

In parallel, the high-potential parcels could then express all their majesty, reflecting the truest varietal expression and producing a range of wines of the highest quality. To the north of the winery, at «Lieu dit Les Quints», the finest calcareous clay parcels are interspersed with a deep vein of clay, which serves as a natural source of water to the vines. Here the terroir favours early-ripening and is particularly suited to Merlot, which reveals great aromatic freshness. To the north-west and eastern extremities of the estate, two gravel terraces were deposited by the nearby Garonne river during severe floods at the end of the ice age. The most compact gravels cover the eastern slopes, forming magnificent plots for Petit Verdot, which imparts intense colour and complexity to the wines. The finest gravels characterise the western slopes, and are perfect for maturing Cabernet Sauvignon to perfection. Parcels of Semillon have been planted at the foot of the slopes or near to the streams or forest to promote constantly humid conditions conducive to the development of Botrytis Cinerea, an essential factor to create Loupiac wines. Revealing the true potential of the terroir and supporting this quest for excellence, form the basis for a new chapter at Château de Ricaud…

Viticulture has been completely reassessed, not only to reveal the true potential of the terroir, but also to guarantee optimum fruit quality. All the more recent vine parcels have been replanted at a density of 6,900 vines/ha in order to favour quality and concentration in the bunches over cropping levels. Frequent, painstaking canopy management techniques are carried out throughout the year to optimise fruit maturity, including bud-rubbing, shoot removal and leaf-plucking twice - once in June on the side the sun rises to protect the grape bunches from the intense daytime sunshine, and once on the side the sun sets at the end of summer to add the finishing touches to the ripening process.

The vineyard has remained perfectly healthy since 1995, with the aid of sustainable plant protection, so only essential treatments are carried out to avoid destabilising the natural environment. In addition, the winery at Château de Ricaud has undergone various improvements in the quest to preserve fruit quality. The tanks in the stainless steel tankroom are now equipped with temperature control, and are in sufficient quantity to vinify in separate batches and retain the individual character of each parcel. To favour improved tannin extraction, wide, rather than tall, 175hl tanks have been selected.