Château de Rouillac

An historic estate set in ancient and noble lands! Chateau de Rouillac was bequeathed in the 17th Century by Jean de Martigny (advisor to the King) to Jean-Paul Loret (Bordeaux parliamentary president). This vast domain contains fascinating glimpses of the family history of each successive owner. Certainly the most illustrious among these was Baron Haussmann who acquired the property in 1864. A natural sybarite, he ordered much work to be done and the estate bears his imprint to this day, notably in his shield above the door as you enter the chateau.
Because of the Baron, horses form an integral part of the history of Rouillac and he created some very beautiful stables. Since his time, the estate has had a dozen hectares of vines under cultivation also producing an excellent red wine. Napoleon III passed though Rouillac, and loved its various wines. He gave them pride of place at his table and boasted of their merits to Albert 1, King of Belgium.As the years have gone by, the various owners of this magnificent domaine perched on a ridge in Graves, cultivated their land under the prestigious Pessac-Leognan label, but without particularly aiming at renown. In 2009, when Laurent Cisneros first came across the estate, he fell for its sleepy charms and decided to settle there with his family. Accomplished and dynamic, he has constantly looked for new territory to conquer and others to remodel and boost. Rouillac for him became a new project: a generous soil, an exceptional opportunity which only needed to be revitalised.
In tandem with this project was his passion for horses. Sophie, his wife, and his three daughters, Mélanie, Ophélie and Eugénie , have invested everything into bringing this great estate back to life. Horses, so beloved of Baron Haussman, fill the stables once more. Naïve, Agente, Kokine are raised with great care and patience allowing them to express their character and personality.

Owner : Laurent et Sophie Cisneros
Wine expert advisor: Eric Boissenot

Pessac-Léognan
Soil : Graves tertiary
Red wine vines : 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot Noir
White wine vines : 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Semillon and 14% Sauvignon Gris
Surface area : 23.40 hectares
Average age of vines : 25 years
Of special note : Manual harvesting. Grapes are picked over twice: first at the vine; secondly on a table