Château Hourtin-Ducasse, "Our mission: to highlight the unique characteristics of each vintage"

Michel and Marie Noëlle Marengo embarked on their winemaking adventure 40 years ago. Leaving Parisian life behind for the vineyards of Bordeaux, they dedicated themselves to creating "the best possible wine from the estate" under the name Château Hourtin-Ducasse . Passionate and open-minded, the couple offers the very best of their vintage each year, guided by their own unique wine philosophy. Through the words of Marie Noëlle Marengo, let's get to know these winemakers.

The Château Hourtin Ducasse adventure over the past 40 years

It's a story that began 40 years ago: Michel Marengo wanted to build a professional project with his father. Among various possibilities, they finally turned to viticulture and in 1976 took over Château Hourtin-Ducasse, in the commune of Saint Sauveur , bordering Pauillac .

“ Wine wasn’t our initial training at all, ” confides Marie Noëlle. Michel was an engineer and she worked in advertising. Little by little, however, they developed a taste for working with vines and making wine. “ A little over 15 years ago, we gave up everything else we were doing to focus solely on the vineyard .”

Their distinguishing feature: A single red wine.

Château Hourtin-Ducasse is a 25-hectare family estate, including 23 hectares of vineyards, producing a Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc wine. In this venture, the couple is supported by a team of 5 people and 7 children… perhaps the next generation of winemakers?

The red wine from the Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc: " One single objective, to make this vintage a success. "

The château's unique characteristic is producing only one red wine , Château Hourtin-Ducasse , a Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc, the very best the estate has to offer. " Château Hourtin-Ducasse is the only wine we produce . We start each time with a white wine base ." The wine's profile? "It's crafted according to the character of the vintage. We're really looking for the fruit ."

To ensure complete objectivity regarding this quality, the blending is done blind. " We don't have any preconceived rules ." The tastings, which take place over several days, thus guarantee the creation of the best and most representative cuvée of the vintage. Once the blend is complete, the wine ages in barrels for the time necessary, depending on the vintage's potential, to enhance and complement the wine's fruit. " Generally, it's between 12 and 17 months. Again, there's no set rule, and it depends on the vintage ."

Since 2013, half of the alcoholic fermentations have been carried out in barrels. This technique allows the fruit to shine while avoiding excessive pumping of the wine. " With the 2013 vintage , we have the impression that we have enhanced the fruit, that we have intensified it ."

The result? Fruity, concentrated wines that differ from vintage to vintage. " Each vintage tells a different story. The 2011, for example, is extremely mineral . That was its character, its unique quality, so it was crafted that way. "

" Preserving the riches of the earth" to make the best wine

Even before blending, the work begins in the vineyards and on the land. The goal for a good wine: rich soil . " In our wines, we want to rediscover the fruit, the grapes that were outside. " Borrowing techniques from organic and biodynamic farming, Michel and Marie Noëlle reflect, experiment, observe, and analyze different methods. " We're ready to try all sorts of things. The question is: what could allow us to make the best possible wine? " Some techniques are already working on the estate: treating the vines with essential oils and plant infusions, preserving biodiversity between the rows… others are being studied, still others are in the planning stages: " We're very keen to work with seaweed ."

With a focus on the environment and preserving the richness of this renowned terroir, the Marengo couple is moving forward little by little and building numerous projects: photovoltaic panels, charging stations for electric cars… “ To make the best wine, we feel that this is the best way to progress. ”

You can meet Michel and Marie Noëlle Marengo on the estate, but also discover the Château Hourtin-Ducasse wine, Cru Bourgeois du Haut-Médoc , on Les Grappes: here !

Manon Mouly (for Les Grappes)