Chateau Mémoires

**One of the prettiest views of the Cadillac appellation**

Château Memoires is a young winery founded in 1985 by Jean-Francois Menard. Young label, but a property that was based on old plots inherited from his parents. These vines were supplemented by others from the family of his first wife. In 1992 he bought an old wine estate with a house and an old stone tower, located on the slopes of the right bank of the Garonne and more specifically Saint Maixant . He built the winery. After the big storm of 1999 the cellars were destroyed. The latter were rebuilt in 2009.

That same year Jean- Francois Menard had a serious accident that prevented him from working the vine for several years. Due to the inability to work Elsa Ménard (daughter of Jean -François) returned to the property to help his father to manage.

Elsa Ménard is a young woman who grew up in this area. From an early age she regularly accompanied his father in the various works. At the end of high school she went to study in Toulouse to become an agricultural engineer. Upon graduation and after a job offer from Credit Agricole she remained in Toulouse until 2009, when he returned to the property.

Currently the Château Memoires spans 35 hectares of vineyards and 10 hectares managed polyculture. Each year it produces wines divided into three appellations: Bordeaux AOC, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux AOC and Cadillac AOC.

For the record the property regularly welcomes pilgrims to Saint Jacques de Compostela. Indeed Château Memoires is located on one of the paths of this famous pilgrimage path.

From a personal perspective, I was charmed at my arrival by the breathtaking view of the valley of Sauternes offered by this property. A view that makes you want to put on the terrace with a glass of wine in hand and admire the famous Chateau d’ Yquem (visible from the Chateau Mémoires), the Château Suduiraut and the entire valley.

Where does the name of the Chateau Mémoires and of its cuvée ‘ L’Enchanteur ‘ come from?

The name comes simply the name of a cadastral parcels of property and more specifically the vineyards of Saint Maixent .

The wine “Cuvée L’Enchanteur” by Château Memoires was created in 2009. Following the accident of his father, Elsa Ménard and his stepmother harvested the property by themselves. After the harvest they noticed the quality and potential of this land so they decided not to join the other plots but to a special wine because it was “the only good thing in 2009, which has delighted us in this difficult time “.

What distinguishes the wines of Château Memoires of other wines come from Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux?

“Many of our wines are single varietal wines, which is not very extended in the region. For example we will produce a 100% Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon 100% or a 100% Malbec .

About our sweet, especially the vintage ‘Grains d’or’ (Golden Grain) ‘ and wine ‘ gold ‘ when it is different sorts of berries as well as during aging. The grapes used to make the ‘ Golden Grain ‘are the result of a rigorous selection (4 tries). Our vintage ‘ gold is produced as well as it once about every ten years. This wine comes from a rigorous manual selection of grapes and is aged for 40 months in new oak barrels.“(Elsa Ménard)

What do you search in your preparation of wine / which characteristics distinguish your wine?

“We want to make wine fun, not bodybuilder wines, balanced, pure and in which the fruits are dominant. This last point is important for us that must be preserved aromas of grape and not make the oak is dominante in our wines. We must be able to drink young. With particular reference to three cuvées of sweetwine (AOC Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux) you want lightness and a good balance between sugar and acidity.” (Elsa Ménard)

Side anecdote:

To my knowledge Château Memoires is one of the few or even the only winery to use glasses caps on some of his wines. This solution was chosen because glass is a neutral, recyclable and aesthetical. The glass stopper allows: “to conserve fruit, crunchy but also have wines that after aging appear more vivid than when kept with a cork or capsule.”