When nature and human are one.
There are visits to estates that mark you more than others, and clearly that of Château Mazeyres is one of them. It must be said that visiting one of the pioneer castles of Biodynamics in Pomerol is a great experience.
Let's start with a little bit history
And when I talk to you about history, we are going back very far. Indeed, during archaeological excavations pottery and other utensils from another time were found in the bowels of the property. The first traces of a property on the soil of Mazeyres therefore date back to the 3rd century. Everything would suggest that it would be an old Gallo-Roman villa. However, it was only in the 14th century that traces of vine cultivation were found in writings stored in the archives of the town of Libourne.
The destiny of the castle changed for the first time at the beginning of the 20th century after the purchase of the estate by the Querre family. Théophile Querre founded a Bordeaux trading house at the end of the 19th century. Under his orders, Mazeyres was a wine sold mainly to restaurateurs.
However, in 1988, the Querre family decided to sell the property, and it was the Caisse de Retraite de la Société Générale which acquired it for 22 years, until the castle was sold to Sogecap (insurance branch life of this same society).
The castle will be sold in 2020 to the Guillard family, a Loire family from the Nantes region who made their fortune in insurance. Today they are the proud owners of many properties in the world of luxury, such as the Burgundy hotel in particular, but also of castles in Bordeaux such as Château Fonroque, Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Emilion, and more recently Mazeyres in Pomerol.
An arrival that changed everything
Then in post for many years at Château Fonroque, Alain Moueix, who is none other than a wine engineer and oenologist, was entrusted with the management of Château Mazeyres in 1992. He is the descendant of an influential family from Libourne, owner of many castles but above all a renowned trading house.
Avant-garde, he was one of the first to introduce organic and then biodynamic cultivation on the right bank of Bordeaux, what an upheaval in this world filled with certainties! He wanted to change the habits of vine cultivation because in his eyes the techniques used for the race to hyperproduction were leading to the loss of the vineyard slowly. This is why this great follower of the ideology of Rudolf Steiner decided to introduce these new methods, in order to have a response that is more respectful of the environment, but above all of the soil and its vines. Esotericism as some call it, or real added value for the vine from each point of view.
Vine
Château Mazeyres therefore extends over 25.5 hectares, making it one of the largest estates in the appellation. With a total of 750ha, Pomerol is one of the smallest appellations in the Bordeaux region. The average size of a property being around 6ha, which has earned it the reputation of being the most Burgundian appellation in Bordeaux.
The grape varieties of the property, as on the whole of the vineyard, are mainly composed of 73% Merlot, 24% Cabernet-Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
The diversity of the soils allows each plot, each grape variety, to flourish in the best possible way. At first, fine and sandy gravel which gives the wine uprightness, finesse but also elegance. Then a soil composed of clayey sands, which will give the wine density. Finally, gravelly-sandy clays which will give power to the wine.
Here, the cultivation of the vine has been done biodynamically since 2010, but was only certified in 2018.
What is biodynamics?
Brought back by Alain Moueix, this culture is based on a deep reflection around the balance between the ecosystem of the vine and man. The latter is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and Maria Thun, and adapts the various techniques in his own way. This is what will tip the wines of Mazeyres into a new era. The basic principle is to produce a wine with the greatest respect for the environment, listening to nature, without losing quality. As the oenologist so aptly puts it, he prefers to lose quantity to gain quality, and it is not the consumer who will complain about it.
Here, 4 main preparations are made, in order to nourish the vine in the best possible way, while following the lunar cycle.
First preparation, horn dung. It is cow dung introduced into a cow horn and then buried during the winter period. Unearthed in the spring, it is mixed in rainwater, then sprayed on the soil of the vineyard. The objective of this preparation is to promote the development of the vegetative cycle, in particular the growth of the roots downwards and of the stems and leaves upwards.
The second preparation used is horn silica. Here, Quartz crystals will be introduced into a cow's horn. This horn will also be buried, but this time during the summer period. The crystals will turn into powder, which will either be added to a compost or then sprayed on the vine. The objective of this preparation is to promote the assimilation of sunlight by the plant.
The other two preparations are herbal infusions which will also be sprayed on the vine. For this, they will use horsetail, chamomile, dandelions, and various other plants. It is above all a respect for the environment, but above all a harmonious work between man and nature. No one can say that it plays a role in the fundamental modification of the style of the wines, the objective being to stress the vine less in order to let it produce the most qualitative grapes possible. This is also what allows Mazeyres to produce wines of great consistency in so-called "complicated" vintages, with fresher and very fruity wines.
Vinification and aging
The vinifications are by plot and are done in concrete vats for the Cabernet Franc and in stainless steel vats for the Merlots.
As for the aging, it is made up of oak barrels that are both new and can be used for 4 vintages. The share of new wood accounts, on average, for around 27% of livestock. In addition to this type of breeding, which is very characteristic of Bordeaux, the château uses casks, amphoras and concrete eggs.
Since 2016 and the integration of these new farming methods, the château has once again shown that the Bordeaux vineyards have become aware of the problem of the excessive use of oak barrels. For many years, an ambient Bordeaux bashing has shown that Bordeaux wines are too oaky, and that excessive oak aging makes the wine difficult to drink in its youth, even if Pomerols suffer very little from this trend. Perhaps this is the mark of an exceptional terroir.
What characterizes the wines of Mazeyres, beyond the seductive and comforting side, is above all the freshness which makes the wines affordable in their youth. Of course, the vintage effect is taken into account, whether it is solar or not, whether the climatic conditions are more or less difficult, the instantaneity in tasting these wines is palpable.
Biodynamics will continue to divide consumers as to its usefulness or not, as to its more than fundamental esoteric side, however we cannot hide the fact that here we can clearly feel a real harmony between man and vine. Isn't that the most important thing?
