Château Le Manceau

Château Le Manceau is in the Côtes de Blaye appellation, north of the Gironde, in the commune of Saint-Androny, 5 km from Blaye. The grandparents of the current owner, Stéphane Lesparre, bought the château in the 1950s. At the time, the estate had only 6 ha of vines. When their grandson took over in 1988, it had doubled in size; it has since continued to expand and now has 24 ha. The estate buildings have grown as a result. Grands Vins de Gironde has been an exclusive partner to Château Le Manceau for fifteen years.

Château Le Manceau is on a hillside with clay-and-limestone soils. It is a rich ‘terroir’ due to the nearby marshes. The land surrounding the commune of Saint-Androny is considered to be the best in the Côtes de Blaye. The vines consist of Merlot (94%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (6%). They are planted at a density of 4500 vines per hectare. Every other row is grassed, while the other half is ploughed and turned aver. The grapes are machine-harvested and sorted at the entrance to the cellar before being put into vats. The cellar is fitted with stainless steel, fibre and cement vats, with a total capacity of 2875 hl. Vatting time is determined by maturity and tasting, but generally lasts two weeks.

Still young, this wine is a lovely Bordeaux red colour. Its bouquet evolves between Morello cherry, fresh grape and undergrowth aromas. Fresh-tasting with mellow tannins and a pleasant, peppery finish accompanied by red berry flavours and a hint of green-pepper. Serve at room temperature with rabbit, veal or pork.