Château de Sainte Gemme				Home Page

A bit of history...                                                                         Technical information about Sainte-Gemme

18th C – A former parish During the 18th and 19th Centuries, during the great expansion of the Médoc vineyards, families often named their Château after a special feature of the site or an aspect of its history. This was the case with Château de Sainte Gemme, which took the name of the former parish in which it was built. The name “gemme”, which means “precious stone”, is a reminder of the quality of the products of its soils.			For decades, as the estate belonged to the owner of Château Lachesnaye, the wines made at Sainte Gemme took the name of Château Lachesnaye. 1962- Jean Bouteiller buys the estate From this date, the Bouteiller Family worked to bring the estate back to its former glory, along with Château Lachesnaye. 1981 – Its own name In 1981, the Bouteiller Family had the idea of honouring the ‘terroir’ by giving it its own identity, under the name of Château de Sainte Gemme.

The vines and vinification...

Situated on the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Haut-Médoc ‘terroir’, the estate extends over 15 hectares, 10 of which are planted with vines on Garonne gravel soils sitting on clays produced by limestone decomposition. It is bordered to the north by Château Beychevelle, to the east by the Gironde, to the south by the vineyards of Château Ducru Beaucaillou, and to the west by those of Château Lachesnaye. The vines are 50% Cabernet sauvignon and 50% Merlot, with an average age of 20 years.

The wine…

The choice of grape varieties and the type of soils produce a fruity, elegant wine that is rounder than its big brothers, Château Lanessan and Château Lachesnaye. Consumers can begin to enjoy them after a few months of bottle ageing. Depending on the year, vintages reach their best after three to seven years.

The wine is excellent introduction to the more complex great wines of the Médoc.

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