Jean-François Fillastre, sole vigneron of Domaine Jaugaret, is the most significant unbroken link to the Médoc’s distant past. There are other traditional estates in the region, to be sure, but visiting Jaugaret is like taking... Read More

Jean-François Fillastre, sole vigneron of Domaine Jaugaret, is the most significant unbroken link to the Médoc’s distant past. There are other traditional estates in the region, to be sure, but visiting Jaugaret is like taking a trip back to Bordeaux's very beginnings.

This is not so much of a feeling as it is a simple fact. The Fillastres been making wine in Saint-Julien since 1654 (shortly after the Médoc marshes were drained by the Dutch), scarcely deviating from their original methods over the centuries.

And the cellar feels like a medieval dungeon; small and dim, with black, moldy walls filled with old barrels and simple iron tools. Quite different from the large, glamorous facilities of nearby estates Ducru-Beaucaillou and Leoville-Poyferré!

But if the setting and implements are brutally rustic, the wines are some of the most pretty, pure and poetic in all of France. It’s hard to imagine a more soulful and judicious rendition of Cabernet Sauvignon (80% of the blend) than Jaugaret’s: stonily firm yet vibrant, oozing with aromas of violets, cassis, and mint.

How many vintages will Jean-François, who is 78, keep producing? Hard to say; his father handed the reins over in 1983 at age 90! But one thing is clear: when he retires, it will likely be the end for Jaugaret, because Fillastre has no relative to take his place.