Petite Chateau Bordeaux
Brand Profile
There are some places around which history seems to settle like a distinguished guest. Here, at Château Roland la Garde it started in 778. From the top of a knoll called Moulin de la Garde, Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, was able to hurl his spear into the waters of the Gironde. Having thus proved his courage and strength, he left on expedition, forming the rearguard of Charlemagne’s army.
Killed at Roncevaux after many great deeds, he was buried at Blaye, next to his companion Olivier and Archbishop Turpin. Beside him were placed his renowned sword Durandal and ivory horn.
With such outstanding ancestry behind him, Bruno Martin could not help but follow in this exceptional tradition.
Philosophy & Style
The awakening of ecological awareness is a commonplace reality today and we are all convinced of the need to protect our natural environment.
For a long time now at Château Roland la Garde, such ecological awareness has been guiding Bruno Martin in how best to manage the chateau’s vineyards:
- Ploughing the soil or partially growing grass between the rows, without using chemical weed-killers.
- Avoiding the use of toxic products.
- Using weather station information.
It is Bruno Marin’s unshakeable will that leads him to carry out experiments “each one crazier than the last”.
Here is an illustration of this will: firstly, the selection of the finest bunches, followed by manual de-stalking with sorting of the best grapes, and crushing amidst the rows to avoid having to use machinery. Next comes maceration in new casks specially designed for this task.
From this unique experiment you can imagine the high quality of wine thus created.
A word from winemaker Bruno Martin
“Since the word madness is often interpreted in a disquieting way, at this point it seems a good idea to me to warn the reader that my touch of craziness is simply the excessive expression of the passion that is always driving me further on like the alchemist’s quest for the philosopher’s stone – in this case, “the perfect wine”.
Now that you are thus reassured, it only remains for me to urge you to savour, taste and enjoy the wines of Château Roland La Garde by joining me in my delicious madness.”
Château Guibeau is made with a subtle blend of grapes from all the different plots of the estate. This blend of Merlot and Cabernet grapes from low-yield vines picked at the moment of perfect ripeness, gives a wine that is powerful and aromatic when young. The tannins become more rounded with age as Château Guibeau is transformed into a generous, smooth wine.
The vineyard covers a magnificent clay-limestone hillside to the north-east of Saint Emilion. The 41 hectares are planted with Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) vines – the “noble” varieties. The vines are 28 years old on average.
The quality of great wines generally depends on the quality of the grapes. Although this may seem rather obvious, it is a motto that we should never forget in our approach to our work. We lavish the greatest care and attention on the vines to ensure that they benefit from natural resistance to parasites and require as little treatment as possible. In this way, each crop conserves all the natural riches that are specific to our terroir.
Quality also involves taking the greatest care in the course of the winemaking process. The skills passed down to us by our ancestors are employed to extracting all the colour, tannins and aromas from the grapes. In the peace and quiet of the cellars, the wine ages for 12 months in oak barrels. It is then bottled by us on the estate itself.
For three generations, Henri Bourlon and his family have served as the guardians of this quality. From father to son, each of them devoted to his craft, they have brought forth a wine whose richness and power are equalled only by its great finesse.
