Château Soutard, the only estate of this name in Saint-Émilion, was built between 1742 and 1762 and is one of the oldest properties in the commune. The first traces of Soutard date back to 1513 with the mention of Bourdieu (a Gascon estate built around a farm and a mill) by Mayne de Soutard.
Apart from its architectural ensemble, which is unique in Saint-Émilion, Soutard’s distinguishing feature is its single vineyard of 22 hectares, an area that has remained unchanged for a hundred years. This has now been increased to 30 hectares with the addition of Cadet Piola.
Passionate winegrowers have succeeded one another at the head of Soutard, as can be seen from the furrows dug in the rock by one of the owners, an ardent defender of the “row planted vine”.
In 2006, it was acquired by AG2R La Mondiale. The arrival and integration of Cadet Piola did nothing to weaken this determination to improve quality and develop the vineyard while respecting an exceptional terroir. Major renovation work has enabled Soutard to make a fresh start. Picked by hand, the bunches are placed in small 10-kilo crates to avoid overcrowding. After passing through a cold room to lower their temperature, the grapes are transported by gravity to the vats in vats. After destemming, the grapes are carefully and rigorously sorted. In wooden vats for the best plots and stainless steel vats for the younger vines, the grapes undergo cold pre-fermentation maceration for 5 to 6 days. Alcoholic fermentation then begins, with regular, controlled pumping over in a closed circuit using peristaltic pumps that respect the raw material.
For each ageing period and each vintage, 60 to 70% of the wine is aged in new barrels supplied by eight different coopers. The staves are toasted on average to ensure a perfect marriage between the oak and the wine.
Soutard wines bear the divine imprint of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Recent vintages have produced a wine that is pure, clean and tautly fruity, with a fine, elegant finish. Soutard also produces a second wine, Petit Soutard, made from grapes grown on young vines.
Since 2011, Château Soutard has established itself as a place open to the outside world with the launch of its wine tourism activity. Welcoming the public, sharing the French art of living and discovering the reality of a Bordeaux château make up an exciting programme for the curious and wine-lovers alike.
