Château Haut-Goujon

A family vineyard ” A terroir blessed by the gods ” (Family Garde)

Château Haut-Goujon is a family winery created in the early twentieth century by Elie Garde. It is located at the boundary between the appellations Montagne Saint-Emilion and Lalande de Pomerol.

At the beginning, the Château Haut Goujon was not purely of just wine but ran 6 hectares of vines (mostly Merlot) and had a few acres of polyculture (fruit trees, vegetable, cereal …).

Following World War 2, the devastation it caused and the various crises of the 50 vineyards (frosts of 1956 and phylloxera) made this vineyard to be almost completely destroyed. The fate of their obsession with the Garde family encountered other problems that forced them to cede much wealth in order to keep the area of ​​Haut-Goujon.

Henry Garde, grand-son of Eli Garde took the reins of the property in 1950 and faced many of these problems. He then embarked on a plan of replanting the remaining 2 hectares of vineyard and turned back almost all the land of the family vineyard.

In 1994, having completed his business of renovation and reconstruction of the vineyard he passed the 13 hectares of vineyards and management of Château Haut-Goujon to his three children : Corinne (administration and accounting), Mickaël (cellar master and chief culture) and Vincent Garde (winemaker and vineyard). Currently the Garde heirs jointly manage the homestead and perpetuate the work of their father.

“I simply removed from the hand gradually” but “I continue to be interested in the activity of Haut-Goujon: I passed it to an organic farming approach“(Henry Garde)

What do you look for each year when you create the wines of Château Haut-Goujon ?

“Regarding our Montagne Saint-Emilion I can not say that we do a ‘real’ wine with all the characteristics of a Montagne Saint-Emilion wine but rather closer to a Lalande de Pomerol. A more elegant fat lighter wine, finer and can be drunk earlier.” (Vincent Garde)

“For our Lalande de Pomerol we allow it to macerate for a month in order to have a more concentrated wine, more tannic , with more material and greater length in the final. Ultimately what we want is to make a wine with a larger guard time ” (Vincent Garde)

On a personal note I would say that the wines of the property have good homogeneity in the sense that no wine is not at the tasting, which is considered a second wine. The wines of the property are characterized by a beautiful material, concentration, harmony, elegance and an ability to be open relatively early compared to wines of the appellation.

Wine Meeting with Vincent Garde

“Since my childhood I live on this area, surrounded by nature and when I was young I wanted to work on this property.

I did my studies at the Jesuit College / High School Betharram in the Pyrenees. At the end I went to a BTS liquor which was followed by an internship in one of the oldest vineyards in the state of Washington (USA ), Bernard Griffin Winery communication. This experience has allowed me to have a more open vision of wine.

Currently I manage it with my brother and sister, as a wine vineyard and not a winemaker. Of course I am a grower and winemaker but what I wish to emphasize by this distinction is that I remain in the vine, I go out every day to work the vineyard or simply being has his listening.

In the vineyard I fight to keep the fruit trees of my childhood. It is important for me to maintain / manage the vineyard as a vegetable respecting a certain balance, biodiversity.”

Still on the subject, but more fun. It is the first time I picked and have eaten apples harvested between two parcels of vines. A nice moment of tasting, surrounded by nature, in discussion with a passionate and exciting winemaker, an incredibly tasty fruit.

What is your vision of the wine ?

“For me to make wine that is fun to work the final taster of those with whom we share a bottle . It is also known to be humble with his job, his land and nature because wine is a science that one does not know and do not understand 100%. We must respect tradition, balance and pragmatism trying each vintage to be the best possible. We are fortunate to have a local, high-quality wines giving elegant, taut without being aggressive, opulent and balanced.

Each year our guideline is the concentration in the wine making wine but it is also a change on the following: what makes you will have fun tomorrow? That is why we created the Black Labels. That is to say, wines that allow us to combine tradition but also evolution, expression of what we love and ‘ outlet box. For example, in this range we will propose a Lalande de Pomerol majority Malbec, a wine without sulfur (100 % Merlot Cuvée Liberty), all vinification in barrel (« vinification intégrale ») … “(Vincent Garde)

A variety (100% Malbec), and plot the same assembly what distinguishes the wine without suffering wine with dose of pain?

“The wine without sulfur is the most opulent tasting fatter, more ‘real’ but with a chocolate nose and evolved .” (Vincent Garde)

Garde family is not a winery but also a trading house : Maison Henry Garde

Maison Henri Garde is a young Bordeaux trading house that became a leitmotif to find and propose “atypical” wines such as Malbec wine majority AOC Lalande de Pomerol, a dry white wine aged in the oyster beds of the « Bassin d’Arcachon », Gewurztraminer from Languedoc … in short, a wine selection of innovative , unusual and reflects the commitment of the house for sustainable development. A beautiful card that I recommend to all wine lovers magnet off the beaten paths and major labels .

Side anecdote : where does the name Haut-Goujeon comes from ?

Simply because the property is situated on the highest (« haut ») point of the locality of Goujon. This hamlet is located northwest of the Lalande de Pomerol appellation.

Project :

In addition to switching to organic farming other projects are underway such as the construction of a new winery saving energy, collect rainwater and recycle various waste discharged. Vincent Garde also wishes to acquire a plot of 2 hectares near of the Chateau Haut-Goujeon to plant Malbec, Petit Verdot and the Carmenere.

In the near future they will construct a new reception room created for seminars but also serve as a place dedicated to wine. Service B & B will also soon be available.

Thanks to Mr. Vincent Garde and to Laurent Boyer as well as for their hospitality.

Jonathan Choukroun Chicheportiche