In the small Bordeaux village of Mazères, Château Roquetaillade La Grange is surrounded by vineyards. This 12th-century building, which belonged to the family of Pope Clement V, the 1st Pope of Avignon, adjoins the winery run by the three Guignard brothers.
Pascal, a quality engineer who has already worked in the South African vineyards, then joined his brothers Dominique, an agricultural engineer with experience on American soil, and Bruno, an oenologist with a degree from Bordeaux University and a Master’s in wine estate management.
Bruno, Pascal and Dominique, the three Guignard brothers at Château Roquetaillade la Grange
On just under 40 hectares, the soils and subsoils, composed of Graves and clay, are renowned for producing wines of great density. They have planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle for the whites.
The famous grape sorting machine
Their portfolio includes Château de Carolle, Château Perron and Château Roquetaillade La Grange. Three fine estates that consistently deliver quality wines. Recently, the three brothers embarked on a bold new venture: producing a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon to rival the finest bottles served in top-flight gourmet restaurants.
So, to make his “pitch”, Pascal Guignard is not a little proud to take us to the vineyard of Clos d’Uza. As soon as we arrive at our destination, in St-Pierre-de-Mons, we notice this pretty lace of white pebbles. These pebbles drain the soil, capturing the heat of the day and releasing it at night. This gives the berries a boost in ripeness, much like in the vineyards of Châteauneuf and the Rhône Valley.
The unique terroir of Clos d’Uza in Graves
They joined forces at the start of the project with Jean-Luc Thunevin, owner of Château Valandraud, a Premier Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion, and pioneer of the “Vin de Garage” concentrate. Their aim: to produce Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of Bordeaux wines, in its purest form, with as little intervention as possible. The Guignard estates follow the High Environmental Value (HVE) label.
The result? A wine with a powerful spicy structure, silky tannins and surprising freshness. Obviously, this is a wine for laying down, but it’s already very approachable. It’s rich, elegant, complex, and scents of quality, from elaboration to barrel ageing.
To date, this craftsmanship has enabled them to find their Clos d’Uza on the tables of the Michelin Guide’s finest starred restaurants. From Paris to Macao, via Morocco, Courchevel and Florence in Italy. In any case, the goal has been achieved: Clos d’Uza finds itself in good company with Domaine La Romanée-Conti, Vega Sicilia, Pétrus and Sassicaia.
Of course, we’re talking about a premium Bordeaux here, but at a price well below that of Napoleon’s 1855 grands crus classés. Bordeaux enthusiasts will definitely get their money’s worth and enjoy the rarity and quality of the precious wine. In the meantime, some of the wines produced by the Guignard brothers are also available.
Château Roquetaillade la Grange, Graves, 2016, Bordeaux, France
Roquetaillade la Grange’s red has just the right amount of tannin, red fruit and structure to make it lovable in its first few years in bottle, with that little extra touch of spice and oakiness that makes it an unmistakable pleasure to come back to. The 2016 vintage is absolutely delicious. Ready to drink or better cellar it for up to 8 years.
Château de Carolle, Graves, 2020, Bordeaux, France
One of the great values still available is this Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend still manages to charm our taste buds and eyes with its beautiful, promising dark color. The fruit is ripe, the notes are spicy and the tannins are velvety. Buy by the case, as I would say…
Château Perron Graves 2023, Bordeaux
This very fine white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle is bursting with freshness. Château Perron, located in Bordeaux’s famous Graves region, offers this refreshing white produced by the friendly Guignard family. You’ll find citrus aromas and hints of lychee on the nose. On the palate, a symphony of pear and white peach. Cheers!
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