Château d’Agassac

Agassac was a very ancient lordship. Local tradition has it that an inscription found in the underground passages of the château assigns its construction to the 11th century. But the first of its known lords, Gaillard d’Agassac, lived in 1238. A faithful vassal of the King of England, his château was a stronghold that protected Bordeaux from invaders coming from the estuary. On the site of the original primitive fortress still stands château d’Agassac, whose construction dates back to the early 13th century. In 1580, it passed to a great family of parliamentarians, the Pomiès, who kept it until the Revolution.
This former barony of Pomiès d’Agassac is also a fine wine estate whose wines were known, at the beginning of the century, under the names château Pomiès and château Ludon. They were highly prized in Holland and won numerous distinctions. Owned by the Gasqueton family since 1960, the estate was bought in 1996 by a major insurance company: Groupama.
The recently renovated château still has the vestiges of the past, its ancient 14th-century walls flanked by more recent towers. It is one of the most picturesque residences of the Haut-Médoc. Set in the middle of a fishpond, it is linked to the circular park by a delightful little stone bridge. The whole is imbued with a thoroughly romantic charm.
A fortress yesterday, a pleasure château today but also a renowned wine property, Agassac has all the outbuildings necessary for a large estate, as well as vast, elegant and convenient storehouses where the estate’s red wines are kept.
The vineyard is made up of two enclosures, each located on a gravel rise in the southern part of Ludon. Maintained in the traditional way, it is planted mostly with old vines.
An experienced and dynamic team is responsible for extracting the quintessence of this exceptional terroir and these old vines with great potential. Harvesting and vinification are carried out with the greatest respect for the quality of the grapes produced by the vineyard.
The harvest is by hand, and all the grapes are sorted in the vineyard, then in the winery. Each plot is identified and represents a vinification batch. The maceration time varies from one vintage to another, but averages 3 weeks. The modern temperature-controlled stainless steel vat room makes it possible to optimise maceration in relation to the quality of the harvest.
Ageing takes place in barrels for 14 to 15 months; during this period, the wines are tended and particularly closely monitored.
In the wines of château d’Agassac one finds the bouquet, the colour, the mellowness and that delicately suave and particular taste that have caused them to be singled out many times at international exhibitions, notably by the award of a gold medal: Paris 1867, Amsterdam 1895, Rouen 1896, Brussels 1897, London 1908, Brussels in 1910, etc… and sought after by the négociants. A sign of renewal, the wines of Agassac are now recognised nationally and internationally.
Today, the tradition continues, and the enclosures of vines that cover the gravel plain and make the wealth and reputation of the old castle still produce this wine with delicate perfumes and exceptional complexity. Well structured, full of sap, finesse and elegance, the wines of Agassac improve greatly in bottle and keep for many years.