Château Dudon

When a great name in Bordeaux wine takes an interest in a “small” château, it gives the best of itself, and lets the terroir express itself. This is precisely the conception that Jean Merlaut has of his profession as a winegrower. He has been at the head of the estate since 1961, and has been in charge of its operations since 1970. He began by restoring the vineyard and the cellar, while continuing to manage his wine merchant’s house, which specialised in sales to individuals. A talented winemaker, he was for a long time in charge of Château de Rayne Vigneau and supported his niece Claire Villars-Lurton at Chasse-Spleen, Ferrière, Haut-Bages Libéral and La Gurgue. He took over the famous Château Gruaud Larose in Saint-Julien in 1997. So many terroirs, so many different, subtle approaches, which enrich the experience of the man of art, but which cannot be duplicated from one place to another. To bring Dudon to his best, he will take the necessary time. Although entitled to the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux appellation from the outset, he waited until 1989 to make his special cuvée, “Jean-Baptiste Dudon”, preferring the Bordeaux appellation until then. In 1991, he enlarged the cellar and rebuilt the vat room, which he installed in what remained of the old 13th century château. Jean Merlaut equipped it with modern equipment: stainless steel vats, thermoregulation, slow rotation destemmer… However, he remains an ardent supporter of the old methods, in particular the ageing of at least two winters in vats before bottling. The château’s vineyard, planted with noble grape varieties, is managed with respect to traditional cultivation and low yields (no high, wide vines). Jean Merlaut is an entrepreneur in the noblest sense of the term. In the year 2000, he expanded the Dudon vineyard. On the most beautiful terroirs of the nearby appellation, he selected vines and soils worthy of the quality sought for his production. The wine-making cellar was enlarged and a two thousand square metre agricultural centre, including an original effluent treatment facility, was created in 2012. Today, the estate’s production varies according to terroir and ageing method: – “Acanthe de Dudon” is the prestige cuvée, aged in new barrels, in the Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. – Jean-Baptiste Dudon” is the house’s special cuvee, aged in barrels, in the Côtes de Bordeaux appellation; – “Château Dudon red”, in the Bordeaux red appellation; – “Château Dudon white”, in the Bordeaux white appellation; – “Château Dudon rosé”, in the Bordeaux rosé appellation. All these wines are sold exclusively by the Jean Merlaut wine merchant. Château Dudon is a beautiful expression of its terroir, guaranteed by the signature of a great professional. Jean Merlaut is passionate about Bordeaux wines and publishes a small guidebook that has made a name for itself among wine lovers: Vinitop.