Château Rioublanc

Château Rioublanc was founded in the beginning of the 19th century.

The house is built in the style "Girondine" and its white stones reflect the prosperity of the region at the time of its formation. Behind the house the large wine cellar underlines the wine tradition of the domain. The barn, with a dovecote, reminds us that mixed farming was then the rule.

 Also hay was needed for the working animals used in the vineyard. Today, tractors have replaced the oxen and the barn has been converted into a warehouse for bottles.

Ideal «Terroir» for Great Wines:

The clay-containing soil of the area (High Plateau) (clay subsoil with Ferruginous deposits) has the cultivation of white grapes favored

Château Rioublanc produced mainly dry and sweet white wines as well as crémants. But since the 80s, red grapes have become increasingly important because of a high demand for red Bordeaux wines. The cultivation of red grape varieties was made possible onbly by deep drainage on many properties. In addition, global warming is beneficial for the "Cold countries" to which Bordeaux can also be counted. In the "great" historical terroirs, however, the problem of overripeness excists, especially for the Merlot variety.

The owner of Château Rioublanc, Edouard Carretero tries since 1963 to return to the original dimension of the Château with his whole energy. His son Philippe, after a solid technical training (engineer and oenologist) continues to work in this direction. He is supported by a large team of trained and dedicated staff (the most solid employed).

In this sense a remarkable winery was built over the years. All properties are planted in high density (5000 vines / ha). A high and clean trellis takes a lot of sunshine, and in combination with the manual defoliating device it ensures a regular production of healthy and ripe grapes. The diverse grape varieties adapt harmoniously to the properties and show their potential in rich organic wines.

Red grape varieties:

Merlot (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Malbec (4%).

White grape varieties:

Sauvignon blanc (68%), Semillon (24%) and Colombard (8%).

Organic wine - production

Since 2009 only organic cultivation and wine has been produced.
This is a comprehensive approach to the protection of the environment, the quality of wine and the health of producers and employees in the vineyards and to the benefit of consumers.
Contrary to popular belief, organic farming is an innovative approach when compared to the wine making techniques of the last 70 years. In the vineyard, this requires a large team and efficient working methods. In the cellar, great precision is required because most correction techniques are prohibited. So organic wines are the true authentic terroir wines that are in this respect with the big ones.

Organic wines from Château Rioublanc