Château Marjosse : Château Marjosse 2021

Freshness and aromatic intensity, a seductive Bordeaux white wine by Pierre Lurton

The estate

Built in 1782 on the right bank of Bordeaux and initially owned by the wine merchant Bernard Chénier, Château Marjosse was acquired by the Deleuze family, who sold some plots of land to Pierre Lurton in 1990.

In 1992, Pierre Lurton, who grew up in the Château Reynier next door to this magnificent ‘’Chartreuse’’ country house, moved into his second home, Château Marjosse and over the years purchased several parts of the Deleuze family's property.

In 2000, Pierre Lurton built an ultramodern cellar containing more than 40 concrete vats and in 2013 become the owner of the entire vineyard as well as the Chartreuse.

The vineyard

Château Marjosse’s vineyard spreads over 40 hectares. Situated on exceptional clay-limestone soils, this terroir is made up of young and old vines, some of which are a hundred years old. The vineyard includes different grape varieties, such as Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the red Château Marjosse wines or Semillon, Sauvignon blanc, Sauvignon gris and Muscadelle for the white Château Marjosse wines.

The vineyard dedicated to the production of Château Marjosse’s white wine, a reference among Entre-deux-Mers wines, is a 12-hectare vineyard made up of vines aged from 25 to 75 years old.

The vintage

2021 was marked by a frost during spring that had a direct impact on the estate. The summer season began under moderate weather conditions and ended with a dry and sunny month of August. Although the unique conditions of this vintage led to heterogeneity in the ripening of the different plots, the result is a delicate, elegant and balanced white wine.

The vinification and ageing

In 2017, Pierre Lurton hired Jean-Marc Domme as technical director. For the first time in the history of the estate, Pierre Lurton started a separate vinification by plot and created limited-quantity micro-cuvées made from the grapes that stem from the most remarkable plots, in order to express each of their characteristics and microclimates.

Harvested early in the morning to limit oxidation and preserve the aromatic richness, the grapes are sorted and gently pressed in pneumatic presses. Protected from oxidation by inerting with carbonic snow, the juices are kept cold on lees for a few days to encourage the aromatic expression.

Seeking a true aromatic purity, the wines are fermented at low temperature for 1 to 2 weeks after settling.

The wines are aged on fine lees in concrete tanks for 2 to 3 months. Depending on the parcel, regular stirring of the lees is carried out twice a week on average.

The blend

Semillon (45%)

Sauvignon blanc (35%)

Sauvignon gris (15%)

Muscadelle (5%).

Château Marjosse 2021: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

Bright, pale colour with subtle green highlights.

Nose

Fresh, the nose reveals a rich aromatic palette, combining fragrances of white flowers, grapefruit and blackcurrant.

Palate

This wine seduces the palate with its freshness, its aromatic richness and its delicate feel. The finish is persistent and harmoniously combines a pleasant bitterness with a delicious salinity.