The RICHARD-BARRAUD family has been working for five generations to produce quality red wines in Queyrac (Bordeaux - France), one of the northernmost communes in the Médoc AOC. This winemaking family started in the 19th century with Louis and Roger Richard, who used to grow the vines on horseback. It was in 1955, with Pierre BARRAUD that the decisive choice was made to produce grapes in Médoc AOC; work pursued by Chantal and Alain BARRAUD. In 2006, Richard BARRAUD, the fifth generation, made a real decision: the creation of another wine estate in a particular cellar. CHATEAU CARMENERE was born to bring up to date a grape variety almost forgotten: La Carménère.
The vineyard is cultivated in an artisanal way on a gravelly-sandy soil with a clay-limestone subsoil thus offering optimal grape ripeness.
The grape variety is typically Médocain, with a proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon worthy of the great classified growths of Médoc. The selected varieties offer an undeniable diversity: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. This little known grape variety was destroyed about 150 years ago by an insect called phylloxera, like all other grape varieties. But unlike other grape varieties this one has not been replanted in France in the 20th century. It was during the creation in 2006 that Richard Barraud replanted this grape with the sole aim of bringing a rare typicity to Château Carmenère.
To understand the quality of this land, we must return to the minimum in the seventeenth century when the land, on which are currently our vineyards, were lined, see flooded waters of the estuary of the Gironde. And, for centuries and centuries, they have experienced the incessant movements of currents, tides, winds, climate changes. In 1648, the Dutch began to build dikes backing the river "the Gironde" in its current bed. This allowed us to discover exceptional terroirs for the culture of the vine.
The winery was built in 2008 on the foundations of the former barn where cows and horses could rest after a good day's work.
The equipment is very complete in order to carry out the harvesting and winemaking with thermo-regulated vats.
The work of the winery is done throughout the year according to the lunar calendar and tastings under the watchful eye of the oenologist. The aging, only in new French oak barrels, brings a touch of toast and tannins thanks to the diversity of the rigorously selected coopers.
Bottling is carried out on the property by a mobile truck that complies with good bottling practices. The bottles simply pulled and blocked are bet on Viplac and stored in the best conditions. The bottles are then encapsulated, dressed and crated wood flat by us as and when orders.
The winemaking process is traditional, thermoregulated in small vats adapted to plot work. The aging is done in new barrels at 50% during 20 months for 2016. The harvest is manual in a crate.