Haut-Montravel

The Haut-Montravel Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée comes first and foremost from the exceptional terroir of the Montravel appellation.

The hillsides that make up the bulk of AOC Montravel's terroir extend those of Saint-Emilion and Côtes de Castillon to the east. To the west, they mark the entrance to the Bergerac vineyards. These foothills of the Périgord Pourpre also mark the boundary between oceanic and continental climates. It's here, at Montravel, that the mascaret, the breaking wave that sweeps up from the ocean onto the Dordogne at every tide, comes to an end.

Covering almost 2,000 hectares, Montravel 's clay-limestone slopes are ideal for red grape varieties: Merlot dominates these clay soils, while Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, planted at high density (minimum 5,000 vines/hectare), express the full complexity of this great terroir, which has been recognized as an AOC Montravel red since the 2001 vintage. While this first AOC of the 21st century is exemplary in terms of the rigor of its production conditions and its resolutely "terroir" positioning, it is also quite unique when it comes to wine enjoyment. In fact, it is the first French still wine AOC to be tasted for the approval of each vintage, after final bottling. This pioneering method guarantees perfect traceability for the consumer, and places Montravel at the forefront of AOC excellence.

Haut-Montravel wines are white, fine and smooth, more concentrated and sometimes even sweet. The latter, with their beautiful aromatic complexity, have excellent ageing potential.