A UNIQUE TERROIR ON SAND, IRON AND GRAVEL SOILS
IN THE HEART OF BORDEAUX VINEYARDS
The unique terroir of Château Toulouze offers wines of rare finesse. Its vineyard, covering 59 hectares on the left bank of the Dordogne, has existed since the end of the 18th century. It was also featured in the first editions of the reference book “Bordeaux and its Wines” published by Féret, known by Bordeaux wine connoisseurs as Le Féret.
“Graves-de-vayres winegrowers like to cultivate an air of mystery as well as their vines. These are confidential wines that express the true quintessence of the region, resulting from the union of the best vintages of the right bank and the most prestigious châteaux of the left bank.” (Yves Glotin, winemaker and president of the graves-de-vayres wine producers union)
The PDO (AOC in French) graves-de-vayres is the second oldest appellation in the Bordeaux area. Château Toulouze bears its history and character richness.
The unique and preserved vineyard soils are composed of sand, clay and gravel, but also regular traces of what is known locally as ‘crasse de fer’ – a ferruginous sandstone, not unlike the hidden depts of Pomerol. These iron oxides bring floral attributes and give a lighter frame to the wines.
The vineyard’s planting density is over 5,000 vines per hectare, with an average age of 30 years. In keeping with the grave-de-vayres appellation, the grape varieties grown at Château Toulouze are merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and malbec. Their proportions evolve to adapt to the climate change conditions the vineyard is exposed to. The identity of Château Toulouze wines depends on the appropriate response to this global challenge.
