Located in Barsac, about thirty kilometers southeast of Bordeaux, Château Massereau dominates the landscape with its three towers and the rows of vines that descend to Ciron. The Chaigneau family acquired the estate in 2000 and pretty soon thereafter started gaining a reputation for making singular wines that while quintessentially Bordeaux were quite a departure from what their neighbors were crafting.The previous owners had never modernized the estate with all the new and fancy wine tech that had creeped into most of the region's cellars. Jean-François Chaigneau and his brother Philippe kept it that way because they were never interested in producing the opulent and brash style that Bordeaux had become known for toward the end of the 20th century. The house style is more subtle and elegant with a focus on terroir and while the wines are certainly made naturally, tradition is the name of the game at Massereau .They imbue their wines with authenticity through their meticulous farming practices. Everything is done by hand from plowing (sometimes with the help of their trusty horse), de-budding, thinning, selection of bunches and the harvest. The vineyards are never treated with synthetic additives. This way they manage to produce such pristine fruit allowing for an approach in the cellar that is another deviation from the norm.The brothers’ winemaking is minimalist, with natural fermentations in concrete tanks or oak casks. There is no chaptalisation, acidification, filtration, fining, or use of wine-making additives, and the addition of sulfur is kept to a minimum or none is used at all.All of their reds are a study in elegance and refinement but with a raw tension and lift that is sorely missing from most Bordeaux. At Château Massereau there is no difference between producing natural wine and traditional wine. Their harmonious approach is evident in every bottle.
Details
-
Grape Variety
Sauvignon Blanc , Semillon
-
Vintage
2020
-
Size
750ml
-
Farming Practice
Organic
-
Style
Earthy , Fruity , Minerally
-
Sweetness
Dry
-
Body
Medium Bodied