Known as the French wine capital, the region of Bordeaux is particularly famous for ageworthy red wines produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Bordeaux’s positioning close to the Atlantic ocean gives the region a moderate, maritime climate, with the Gironde estuary dividing the appellation’s vineyards into a left and right bank. Gravelly soils dominate the left bank, where Cabernet Sauvignon’s thick skins ripen successfully to reveal flavours of blackcurrant and cedar. The most famous areas include Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux, all famed for their elegant yet structured styles.

On the opposite side of the estuary, the right bank’s clay based terroir is much more suited to earlier ripening grape Merlot, producing a softer style of wine with notes of plum and blackberry. Notable villages include St Emilion and Pomerol, celebrated for their concentration of fruit flavour and approachability in youth.Although single varietal wines exist, it is much more typical for claret to be a blend of grapes as a way to produce the very best wine in humid, dampy growing conditions.

Further south and past the city of Bordeaux itself, lie the appellations of Graves and Pessac-Leognan where excellent red and dry white wines are produced, the latter from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion. The dry white styles are crisp and refreshing, with aromas of lemon and apple that can develop into nutty and toasty expressions with some bottle age.

The jewel in Bordeaux’s crown, however, is further south in the appellation of Sauternes, where lusciously sweet wines are made from botrytised grapes. With so many different styles produced, it isn’t surprising that wines from Bordeaux have such a legacy.

Having fallen into obscurity in the 1950s, Seguin is an excellent example of a Chateau that underwent a renaissance. Since 1987 the present owners the Darriet family have worked hard to renovate the vineyard and their winemaking facilities. At Chateau Seguin particular care and attention is paid to the environment through sustainable viticultural practices and thanks to excellent terroir in the heart of the Pessac-Leognan are able to produce powerful, well-balanced and elegant wines.

Nestled in the Eau Borde valley in the northern part of the Pessac-Leognan appellation, the vineyard is split into two sections. “Seguin” and “Petit Bordeaux”, both around 15 hectares in size, are blessed with incredibly free-draining, gravelly soil, forcing the vine roots to delve deep into the soil to attain the water and nutrients they need. Tributaries from the nearby Garonne river offer water throughout the growing season and the larger river stones and pebbles trap heat during the day which is slowly released at night time. These specific regional factors result in very athletic vines that focus their energies on creating concentrated, evenly ripened fruit.

Château Seguin produces four different wines, from vines ranging between 11 and 25 years of age. The traditional Bordeaux red grapes, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, make up all of the blends, with most wines seeing a cold maceration pre-inoculation to release fruity and floral notes. Alcoholic fermentations are then carried out over 10-15 days, with maturation taking place in new oak barrels over the course of 12 to 18 months. The resulting wines have both structure and character and are incredibly approachable in their youth. Seguin’s wines show plenty of ripe, blackcurrant fruit character and fresh acidity, with the firm yet soft tannins offering the necessary structure to allow these wines to evolve into softer, more savoury styles.

Château Seguin 2023:
From 12 to 29 September
Cabernet Sauvignon: 59%, Merlot 41%
12 months in new barrels (25%), and second-fill barrels (75%).
Pre-préfermentaire cold
soaking (10°C).
Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks (25 days).
Malolactique fermentation in barrels.