Château Balestard-La-Tonnelle

Balestard owes its name to a canon of Saint-Émilion, while La Tonnelle owes its name to an old stone tower that still stands at the heart of the vineyard. The reputation of this wine goes back a long way, to the 15th century when François Villon wrote a poem about it on the label. In 1923, Mr Bertauts-Couture sold the property to Mr Berthon. His son-in-law, Roger Capdemourlin, ran the estate for around thirty years. In 1974, his son Jacques took over the estate and, aware of the quality of the terroir, did everything in his power to achieve a very high level of quality. A great deal of renovation work has been carried out both in the winery and around the estate. Jacques Capdemourlin has transformed Château Balestard La Tonnelle with an imposing entrance gate leading to a yew avenue. The semi-buried tasting room uses stones from different estates. This space has been the venue for celebrations of Saint-Émilion wines. Thanks to these improvements, the château has developed wine tourism, allowing visitors to discover a heritage dating back more than 400 years. A symbol of the Capdemourlin family’s commitment to magnifying the wines of their terroir, the cellar was built using specific materials to maximise energy savings, and combines modernity and technology. Jacques Capdemourlin and his sons Thierry and François are constantly striving to improve the quality of the wines from Balestard la Tonnelle.