Château Le Conte’s terroirs

Terroir …

The starting point of the reputation of Saint-Émilion wines is above all its soil and its climate. The estate is at the foot of the hillside of the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Hippolyte. There is not just one but many terroirs of Saint-Émilion. That of Château le Conte is made up of a first clay-sandy layer over the first 2 meters then by limestone with asterisks. It is this deep limestone that allows our Merlots to maintain a beautiful freshness.

In terms of the Château le Conte ecosystem, we have planted hedges around our plots. By doing so, we encourage the life of insects and small animals which naturally help us against pests.

…and grape varieties

Merlot is the sole variety planted on the 5 hectares. In the vineyard, we shape the vine in cordon de Royat and not in Guyot like the rest of the estate. We are thus limiting productivity on this plot which increases quality. To do this, we pay special attention to the vines of this confidential estate, taking the time to observe and care for our 5 hectares of Merlot.

In the cellar, depending on the vintage and the type of wine we want to produce, we use multiple containers: new barrel, one wine barrel, concrete ovoid vat and stainless-steel vat.

The objective of the work during vinification is clear: to offer a recognizable signature according to the vintages, while highlighting the particularity of each. It is meticulous work, which requires meticulous monitoring and regular tasting of the juices. Since our 2020 vintage, wood and stainless steel are no longer the only materials used for the aging of the estate’s two wines. We have recently introduced 3 concrete tanks, including a Galileo and an ovoid tank. All of these containers were integrated into Château Le Conte in order to use everyone’s contribution to create a unique blend to keep a signature common to all vintages.