Located just 6 km north from the famous Saint-Estèphe appellation, Château Loudenne is an estate with a rich history, a unique terroir and a great potential to produce exceptional wines. Bought in April 2022 by Christophe Gouache, already the owner of Château Bellerive in Valeyrac, Loudenne starts a new page in its history and a renewal in the winery as well as in the vineyards, and is preparing to carry out numerous projects.
History of the Château
Château Loudenne begins its history in 1670, as a residence for a noble Bordeaux family. In 1875, it was acquired by the Gilbey family, wine merchants, who held Loudenne for 125 years, and invested significantly in its development. The Gilbeys noticed the Château’s terroir, as well as its position on the border of the Gironde estuary, giving access to the ocean, and thus to the international market. They then created a port in Loudenne, the only private trading port on the estuary, which allowed them to easily send barrels of wine for export.
The Gilbeys also enlarged the chartreuse, created an English style park and the “folies” – the small towers on the four gravel hills, which form the Loudenne terroir. They also planted vines and built one of the first gravity cellars in Médoc, with an area of 12,000 m².
In 2013 Loudenne was bought by the Chinese group Mautai, known for its baïju alcohol, and turned away from the European
market. But in 2022 Mautai was forced to sell he château, acquired then by Christophe Gouache, who retained the partnerships with Camus and Philippe de Poyferré, created by the Chinese owners in 2016, and his objective now is to promote
the Loudenne brand in France and internationally, as in the Gilbey era.
Gravelly hills the estuary: two components of terroir of Loudenne
The slopes of 19-meter-high hills with gravelly soil, a portion of clay and a limestone base form a great terroir for red grape varieties, while the lower part of the hills, on the edge of the Gironde, has clay-limestone soil, favorable for white grapes mestone soil, favorable for white grapes. But it is also a particular micro-climate, created by the estuary, which forms the Château’s terroir and which gives a particular character to its wines. The wind from the Atlantic blows almost constantly on
Loudenne vineyard, bringing the salinity of the sea, which can be found in its white wines, and sometimes even in reds. The wind also helps drive away excessive humidity and prevents vine diseases. This healthy microclimate allowed Loudenne to obtain organic certification in 2021 and to produce its first organic vintage in 2022.
The Médoc saying: “There is no great terroir that does not look at the river”, perfectly characterises the terroir of the château.
Château Loudenne wines
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot make up a large part of the vineyard, with a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Cabernet Sauvignons are planted on the upper part of the hills, on the gravel, the Merlots – on their lower parts, while the white vines (Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon) – are closer to the estuary. The red wines of Loudenne are age-worthy, but already accessible after 5-6 years. But it is its white wine that has marked its history. Upon their arrival in 1875, the Gilbeys planted vines and began to market bottled wines, under the Loudenne label from 1880, while other Médoc properties did not sell produced white wines under their labels. This is why Loudenne white wine is dated as the oldest Médoc white wine which arrived on the market even before the Pavillon Blanc of Château Margaux in 1920.
The objective of the new owners of Loudenne is to breathe new life into the château, previously well-known abroad, to restore notoriety to its wines, while showing that the château is capable of renewing itself and following trends. of the global market, by offering new products.
Thus, the 100% Malbec cuvée and the No Added Sulfites cuvée (of which 6,000 bottles are produced), have recently entered the range of wines.
Loudenne’s wine tourism approach and projects
An important area of development for the Château is its wine tourism offer and the wish to show that it is opened and ready to welcome visitors.
The Château’s private port offers cruise boat trips and shuttles from Bordeaux, Blaye, Royan and Pauillac to bring visitors to discover the history of Loudenne and its wines. Visitors can also have lunch at the Château’s Table Éphémère or enjoy a picnic basket with local products, accompanied by Loudenne wines. In the years to come, the technical installations and the cellar will be renewed and visited by tourists. A new route with reproductions of images from the period, explaining the history of the Château, as well as a shop and a tasting area are already open.
A lot of work has already been accomplished in the vines with the transition to organic and vineyard restructuring. Today, in addition to wine tourism development, the work at the Château consists of adapting its facilities to the plot selection approach,
and working on the quality of wines with renowned consultants, such as Stéphane Derenoncourt.
Valentina Guérin de Toruville
Château Loudenne
33340 Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc – France
www.chateau-loudenne.com
