Chateau de Ricaud
AOC Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, Loupiac, Bordeaux Blanc Sec
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A place steeped in History
To the south of Bordeaux, near Cadillac, Château de Ricaud is blessed with exceptionally diverse soils. Seduced by the tremendous quality potential of the vineyard and the property’s stunning architecture, Alain Thiénot purchases the Château in 1980. In 2007, he joins forces with Dourthe, and an ambitious redevelopment programme ensues, transforming Château de Ricaud into a quality benchmark in Loupiac and creating a Côtes de Bordeaux wine ranking among the finest of the appellation.
Château de Ricaud, a surprising neo-gothic château nestling in 300-year-old parklands.
Key facts
91/100
James Suckling
50
Parcels
6
Centuries of history
Planting
47 Ha Merlot
6 Ha Cabernet Sauvignon
2 Ha Cabernet Franc
1 Ha Petit Verdot
7 Ha Semillon
2,5 Ha Sauvignon Blanc
Soil profile
Clay silt, clay-limestone and gravel outcrops.
Total surface area
56 Ha red wine
9,5 Ha white wine
Our wines
Château de Ricaud is a rough diamond set in natural surrounds in the Côtes de Bordeaux appellation.
The chateau produces several wines:
– The Chateau’s Grand Vin, prized for its elegance and distinction, concentration and delicate tannins
– Château de Ricaud Loupiac, bursting with flavour, and lively and fresh on the palate
– Well-structured, complex red wines that combine intense fruit character with lovely softness
– And white wines which ally complexity with rich and lively character (and produced in limited quantity).
Terroir
Château de Ricaud vineyards are set in a natural ampitheatre in a single expanse of vines.
To realise the full potential of the terroir, in 2007 an ambitious investment plan is launched. A highly detailed mapping of the soils and subsoils confirms a diversity of terroirs unique to the Cadillac appellation.
To the north, at «Lieu dit Les Quints», the finest clay-limestone parcels are interspersed with a deep vein of clay. Here the soils favour early-ripening and are particularly suited to Merlot.
To the north-west and eastern extremities of the estate lie two gravel terraces : the most compact gravel covers the slopes, and provides ideal conditions for Petit Verdot, while Cabernet Sauvignon thrives on the finest gravel soils on the western slopes.
Parcels of Semillon are planted at the foot of the slopes, near the streams or forest, to benefit from the humid conditions ideal for the development of Botrytis Cinerea, which is essential for the production of Loupiac wines.
In a natural ampitheatre across some of the most magnificent slopes in the region.
Viticulture
Since 1995, the estate has been managed according to the principles of integrated viticulture, which helps maintain the vineyard in a state of perfect harmony with the environment. It is now certified HVE3 and Terra Vitis.
The more recent parcels are planted at a density of 6,900 vines per hectare, which is relatively high for the appellation in order to promote quality and concentration of fruit.
With meticulous care, work in the vineyard is adapted to the individual profile of each block of vines.
Including:
– ploughing
– green fertiliser
– tailored pruning methods
– budrubbing
– shoot removal in the case of Cabernet Sauvignon
– two lots of leaf-plucking – once in early summer on the side the sun rises to protect the bunches from the heat, and once in late summer on the side the sun sets to aid ripening.
– and if required, any non-uniform grapes are removed during veraison.
Guyot Poussard.
Traditional ploughing
Machine weeding
Sustainable cover planting, temporary cover planting, sexual confusion, organic and biological control agents, no CMR products.
Selective harvesting with optical sorting
Winemaking and ageing
The red grapes are harvested selectively by individual parcel according to soil type and ripeness levels of the grapes. Many improvements are introduced in the winery at Château de Ricaud to guarantee fruit quality.
– improved temperature control system
– tanks of varying size and capacity to enable vinification in separate batches
– preserving the individual character of each parcel.
Grapes for Loupiac are harvested by hand to ensure only fully botritised grapes are picked, which are then vinified and matured in barriques.
The team
Bruno Marlet, Estate Manager
Frédéric Bonnaffous, Chief Winemaker
Our history
2012
A historical crest
The coat of arms carved into the chateau’s monumental stone chimney breast belongs to the D’Auzac de Lamartine family, who owned Ricaud in 1872. It still features today on the estate’s wine labels.
2007
Dourthe
Alain Thiénot appoints the skilled Dourthe team and an ambitious redevelopment programme is launched, transforming Château de Ricaud into a benchmark of quality in Loupiac and creating a Côtes de Bordeaux wine to rank among the finest of the appellation.
1980
Thiénot family
Château de Ricaud is acquired by Alain Thiénot, who falls under the charm of a bottle of Loupiac 1929 in a top restaurant in Paris.
1922
Extention of the estate
In 1922, Maurice Wells, taking over from his father, acquired the Garreau estate, in the district of Cadillac, contiguous to Ricaud. He will produce there Première Côtes de Bordeaux reds, sold to wine merchants in Bordeaux and Libourne. Deeply committed in local life, Maurice Wells will be a town councellor in Loupiac municipality, and President of the Wine Syndicate.
1882
Award-winning wines
During the period 1882 – 1910, William Wells plants a vineyard spanning almost 30 hectares, tended meticulously by his son Maurice in a bid to reveal its true splendour. Already in 1897, the estate’s Loupiac wines win various awards in London, Brussels and Paris. After the death of Maurice Wells in 1954, the property gradually falls into decline.
1865
Neo-gothic style
The Chateau only takes on its current form in 1865, when remodelled entirely by architect Alphonse Blaquière in neo-gothic style, inspired by the work of Viollet-Le-Duc in Pierrefond in Oise. The furniture and interior design are assured by Bordeaux cabinet makers Laville and painter Félix Berne-Bellecourt, inspired by his designs of “The life of a Lord in the Middle-Ages”.
1674
A new chateau
Pillaged, burnt and raised to the ground in 1650 by the Dukes of Epernon, the château is rebuilt in 1674 by François de Fleurier, captain of the town of Cadillac, on the foundations of the original building.
1606
Vines and woodland
The first mention of vines is described in the inventory of an auction sale in 1606, as well as high timber, a mill, an orchard and numerous outbuildings, reflecting the importance of the estate. It was acquired in 1617 by the De Fleurier family, who remained the owners until after the revolution.
Its limits are today exactly identical to the description of this inventory.
1452
The “Maison Noble” Ricault
The first mention of the estate dates back to the Hundred Years’ War, when in 1452 ‘Maison Ricault’ was ennobled by Gaston Foix-Grailly, Captal de Guyenne and Count of Benauges, bestowing this honour on Bernard Foix-Grailly, an equerry alongside whom he fought against the French Crown.
Gallery
