Chateau de Fieuzal

Château de Fieuzal is located in the Pessac-Léognan appellation of Graves, Bordeaux. It was awarded Graves Grand Cru Classé status for its red wines in 1959 as part of the Graves classification. The vineyards are planted to a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle. Château de Fieuzal produces a grand vin rouge and a grand vin blanc; as well as a second wine, L'Abeille de Fieuzal, in both a red and white expression.

Château de Fieuzal is named after the family that owned the property until 1851. After the family sold the estate it was broken up into two separate châteaux and in 1995 the estates were reunified into the estate's current incarnation. The estate vineyards are planted on soils of gravel, clay and sand encompassing around 75 hectares (185 acres) of land. The vines are, on average, 35 years old; the Petit Verdot plantings are the oldest and some date back to 1908.

In 2006 famed Bordeaux winemaker Hubert de Bouärd of Château Angelus came to Château de Fieuzal as a consultant winemaker. Alongside the current owners, de Bouärd has developed and updated the winery and vineyards, culminating in the opening of the new winery in 2011.

The grapes are all harvested plot by plot and variety by variety, before being taken to the winery for vinification. The red grapes are fermented in both stainless steel and barrel, before being aged in French oak – the grand vin rouge, which is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Merlot and Cabernet Franc – is aged between 16-24 months depending on vintage; L'Abeille de Fieuzal spends up to a year in barrel.

The Château de Fieuzal grand vin blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, is aged in three separate lots; a third in new French oak barrels, a third in older barrels and a third in stainless steel vats. These separate lots are then blended and this cuvée spends a few months in concrete vats before it is bottled and released. The L'Abeille de Fieuzal blanc is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle and is made in an easy drinking and more approachable style.