Château Peneau: Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law in Bordeaux

Château Peneau is a 30-hectare estate in the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. Overlooking the Garonne River, this magnificent vineyard is managed by Dany and Emilie Douence.

Château Peneau: A Story of Women in the Bordeaux Region

The story begins with Dany, the daughter of a winegrower in the Bordeaux region, when she decided to launch a project of her own. Together with her husband, they purchased the property in 1997. “They wanted to stay in Bordeaux, in the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. These are beautiful vineyards, though unfortunately not very well known. They stretch across the hillsides along the Garonne,” says Emilie. In addition to the property, they also bought Château Haute-Sage: “It’s a beautiful 16th-century château, atypical for the Bordeaux region, built in the Tuscan style. Because of this, it’s classified as a historic monument. It overlooks the Garonne, and all our vineyards surround the château,” she describes.

For several years, Emilie worked in Paris in the audiovisual industry. Until one day, she decided she wanted to return to Bordeaux and join her in-laws’ winery. “The connection was made through marriage,” she notes. “I wanted to get involved with the property. The transition went very smoothly. I went back to school at the Bordeaux School of Oenology to further my knowledge of winemaking.” And the duo works well together: “What makes us strong is our difference, both in terms of our experiences and our ages.”

A new generation of women is ready to take the reins

A family business? Or rather, a women’s business, because at the Peneau estate, the men have a different role: they are distillers. The women alone manage the property.

Traditional winemaking methods from the Bordeaux region

The winemaking process at the estate is traditional. “We have a cask cellar. These are old oak casks. It’s unique because you see fewer and fewer of them these days. Still, we really love the results, so we keep doing it. Some of our wines are aged in casks and others in barrels,” explains Emilie. What is an oak cask? It’s a large barrel made of oak that imparts a lighter oak flavor than a standard barrel.

The winemaking process is also traditional: “Each plot is harvested and vinified separately. The blending comes later,” explains Emilie. As in the rest of the Bordeaux appellations, the wines are primarily blends. With one exception: the wine dedicated to Château Haute-Sage is 100% Merlot. “The grapes come from plots replanted around the château. It’s an interesting terroir because it hasn’t been worked for hundreds of years, so it’s very rich,” explains Emilie.

“The idea is to respect our terroir and produce wines that are representative of the appellation. It is the land that guides us, even though the aging process also plays a significant role. We focus on traditional wines that are round and supple. We prioritize fruitiness over oakiness and tannins.”

The Peneau Estate promotes local food systems and wine tourism

At Château Peneau, 60% of the customers are private individuals who visit the wine cellar. “The goal is to promote direct sales from the producer. To that end, the château is open every day. We organize open houses and host wine-tasting associations and clubs. We need to attract wine enthusiasts to the château,” explains Emilie.

“Today, we’re trying to develop wine tourism through Château Haute-Sage. We have a new venue available for rent for events, weddings, and more… We also have a small project to renovate the underground cellars, which we could open to visitors. But that’s still under consideration.”

A few words about the winemaker’s craft to wrap things up? “I love my job. You have to be a good winemaker, a good businessperson, a good communicator… you do a little bit of everything, and that’s what makes it so rewarding. Every day is different. A winemaker has to be a jack-of-all-trades. There’s also the pleasure of working in this magnificent landscape. At the same time, I taste a lot—whether it’s my own wines or those from other regions. It’s a pleasure to discover the wine with each vintage. That’s what’s magical: every vintage, with its own distinct character, will still be different.”

Our tip: Don’t wait any longer to try the wines from Château Peneau, available for purchase on Les Grappes.