Château Dauzac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Labarde. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. It is now a family winery and owned by the Roulleau family.

History

The beginning

Modern history

Few owners followed including Jean-Jacques Bernat (1939), the Miailhe family (1966), Felix Chatelier (1978), MAIF (1989). In 2020 the Roulleau family (Groupe FOR-BZH) acquired Chateau Dauzac.

Vineyard

Size & grapes

The domaine comprises 297 acre, of which 111 acre are planted, 68% with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and 32% with Merlot. The average age of vines is around 30 years.

Low-intervention wines

Today, the idea of low-intervention wines has exploded. “The category may still have only a small impact commercially,” says New York Times wine editor Eric Asimov, “but its impact culturally is huge, and growing”. Philippe Roux, technical director at Ch. Dauzac in Margaux, goes even further, saying, “Low-intervention wines are not about fashion but a social change.”

Innovation

Thermoregulation

Mr Bernat, the owner of Glacières Bernat, acquired Château Dauzac in 1939. In order to regulate the temperature of vats, he came up with the idea of putting blocks of ice in them during fermentation, thus paving the way for thermoregulation.

Bouillie bordelaise

In the 19th century, several outbreaks of vine diseases occurred among the Vitis vinifera vines of the classical European wine regions. These outbreaks were caused by pests to which these vines lacked resistance, carried on vines brought to Europe as botanical specimens of American origin. These pests included not only the Great French Wine Blight caused by the aphid Phylloxera vastatrix, but also mildew and other diseases caused by fungi. After the downy mildew had struck, botany professor Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet of the University of Bordeaux studied the disease in vineyards of the Bordeaux region. Millardet then noted that vines closest to the roads did not show mildew, while all other vines were affected. After inquiries, he found out those vines had been sprayed with a mixture of CuSO4 and lime to deter passersby from eating the grapes, since this treatment was both visible and bitter-tasting. This led Millardet to conduct trials with this treatment. The trials primarily took place in the vineyards of Château Dauzac, where he was assisted by Ernest David, Dauzac's technical director. Millardet published his findings in 1885, and recommended the mixture to combat downy mildew. In France, the use of Bordeaux mixture has also been known as the Millardet-David treatment.

Dauzac wines

Chateau Dauzac

Château Dauzac continues to promote its status as a pioneer of technological and agricultural progress, and has experimented with several innovative practices (bouillie bordelaise, temperature-control, oak vats with two transparent staves, etc.). This Margaux estate is one of the most invested in biodiversity, producing wines that truly reflect their terroir.

Aurore de Dauzac

Produced from vines on a specific geological vein with fine and sandy gravel, the plot selection of Aurore de Dauzac provides a wine characterized by crisp and intense fruitiness. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are used in almost equal proportions, resulting in a nicely balanced style. Aurore de Dauzac offers instant pleasure. Harvested from the best parts of the Dauzac vineyard for Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has ripe tannins and juicy, jammy black fruits.

Labastide Dauzac

Soft and open, this wine is full of blackberry fruits.

Le Haut-Médoc de Dauzac

The high percentage of cabernet-sauvignon (66%) dominate this wine, with flavors of red fruits like currant.

D de Dauzac

Château Dauzac continued to innovate by producing a vegan wine (D de Dauzac).

Gallery