Chateau Martet. The terroir is made up of all the factors of the ecosystem around a region or a product. Here, the vine and therefore the soil, the subsoil, the climate, the topography, the biodiversity and of course the work of man. Understanding and respecting all these elements are the keys to a fulfilling and qualitative production.
The AOC Sainte-Foy Côtes de
Bordeaux is located in the Saint-Emilion region. With only 280 ha,
Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux produces 160,000 hl / year of mainly red wines
(90%), sweet white wines and a small proportion of dry white wines.
The appellation's soils are
clay-limestone and sandy-clay. The traditional Bordeaux grape varieties
are used both for the reds (the vast majority of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Cabernet Franc), and for the whites (Semillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle and Ugni
Blanc).
The red wines, suitable for aging, are full-bodied, structured and have a beautiful tannic structure.
My Fathers Pride
In 1991, Patrick de Coninck and
Albert Michiels acquired Château Martet. This estate, ideally located on a
hillside along the Dordogne, offers an exceptional heritage with a relationship
to the vine and to the people dating back to Roman times. Château Martet
was built in the 13th century: a hospitable house of the Templar order for
pilgrims to Saint Jacques de Compostela. Immediately Patrick and Albert
had the ambitious project to restore the vineyard and the property to their nobility. From
1993 to 2006, a restructuring of the vineyard was undertaken: uprooting of
grape varieties unsuitable for the soil and uprooting of large vines to favor
low-density vines.
From 1998 Patrick de Coninck
trusted Louis Mitjavile to advise him on both viticulture and
oenology. Beautiful applications saw the light of day. Cord pruning,
spring disbudding, green harvests and weighted stripping, harvests at staggered
stages, taking into account the maturities plot by plot, allowed the reception
in the cellar of harvest blossoming with great potential. Quickly, these
efforts produced a great Bordeaux wine, a true benchmark: the Réserve de
Famille.
Unfortunately,
2016 marked the disappearance of Patrick de Coninck.
The
Coninck Family decided to pay homage to him and to continue his
efforts. La Fierté de Mon Père was born: a noble and generous cuvée with a
pronounced character, the consecration of what made Château Martet so
successful: the love of a terroir and the work of enthusiasts.
2021:
the Martet - Mitjavile collaboration takes off again with the arrival of Nina
Mitjavile, From the age of 15, Nina starts working on family estates (Château
Tertre Roteboeuf, Roc de Cambes), before taking up root definitively from 2005
to 2020 where she is in charge of viticulture and the oenological
aspect. Her passion for wine combined with her transversal mastery of the
vines make her a leading winegrower.
Today the children of Patrick
de Coninck continue this work and place Château Martet in the rank of essential
vineyard: five great wines, a warm property and a preserved biodiversity which
make the reputation of this rich and passionate history.