Château Boutinet: An Exceptional Terroir in Bordeaux
Nathalie and Jérôme: From College to the Vineyards of Fronsac
Château Boutinet: Terroir and Viticulture
Nathalie and Jérôme are the winemakers at Château Boutinet, a beautiful estate on the hillsides of Fronsac in the Bordeaux region. As both guides and winemakers, they combine these two activities—wine tourism and wine production—to the delight of wine and nature lovers alike.
The wines of Château Boutinet
Nathalie and Jérôme met while attending university. At the time, Nathalie was working as a tour guide and wine-tasting guide in the vineyards. She returned to the University of Bordeaux to take courses and further her expertise in wine tasting and winemaking. There, she crossed paths with Jérôme, who already had extensive experience in winemaking.
Together, they embarked on their winemaking journey by purchasing Château Boutinet and its 8.15 hectares of vineyards in 2011. This 18th-century estate, located on the slopes of Fronsac, produces wine under the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation.
“Jérôme got into wine when he was just a little kid. As for me, I’m a tour guide, wine educator, and instructor at the Bordeaux Wine School. To put it simply, he makes the wine, and I drink it!”
“Our goal isn’t just to make wine, but to welcome guests to the estate. The terroir is certainly important, but above all, we wanted a pleasant place to entertain, welcome guests, and live,” Nathalie tells us.
Drawing on her experience as a tour guide, she observes: “I visit wineries all year round where you spend a lot of time in the cellars and fermentation tanks and very little time in the vineyards.”
"You shouldn't do that. More and more, people want to get back to nature, have a garden, and grow tomatoes… At Château Boutinet, we want to explain to them how we're able to produce such extraordinary and unique wines from grapes."
They have since launched a variety of wine tourism activities. “Rando-Tapas” is Château Boutinet’s flagship activity: the winemaking couple offers a 1-hour-and-15-minute walking tour, followed by a tasting of the château’s wines paired with homemade tapas: “We took classes with a chef last year so we could make the tapas ourselves. The idea is to create a friendly atmosphere,” explains the winemaker.
They also offer tours and tastings in the vineyards and in the cellar, as well as walks through the vineyards to explore the Fronsadais region.
Nathalie and Jérôme are deeply attached to their vineyards, their land, and this terroir. True to the famous saying, “To make good wine, you need good grapes,” the couple tends to the vineyards with meticulous care and works diligently to nurture the land.
“We practice sustainable agriculture. Since we arrived, we’ve worked the soil extensively. Our goal is to transition to biodynamics.” This year, the winemakers are beginning the conversion to organic farming. At the same time, Nathalie is in her first year of training at the Lyon School of Medicinal Plants and Natural Knowledge (ELPMSN): “I want to understand why I use nettle or silica at a particular time. Moving toward biodynamics is a real life decision. It’s something that resonates with me,” she confides.
Our "Coup de Cœur" selections from Domaine Boutinet:
.Thalie de Boutinet 2015
When the winemakers first arrived at the estate, the wines were produced at a cooperative winery. They decided to make their own wines using grapes selected from the Château’s finest vineyards.
“Our two best plots are on a clay-limestone plateau and are planted with Merlot. It was the quality of the grapes that led us to decide that our wines would be 100% Merlot,” says Nathalie.
Winemaking is truly a team effort: “We both love wines with a fruity profile. Even our barrel-aged cuvée shouldn’t be overshadowed by the wood. We want fruit, freshness, and acidity,” explains the winemaker.
Nathalie and Jérôme produce three wines: a Clairet and two reds:
- Le Clairet de Boutinet: “We wanted to make a Clairet because it’s a genuine Bordeaux appellation, and we felt lucky to have the opportunity to produce one.”
- Château Boutinet: “A wine for enjoyment and sharing with friends. We wanted a wine that’s simple and approachable, one that can be enjoyed the year after the harvest.”
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Thalie de Boutinet is a wine made in the traditional Bordeaux style.
There is no shortage of projects on the estate, and ideas are flowing freely. “In June 2017, we’ll be releasing a new cuvée, L’étoile de Boutinet. This cuvée was born somewhat by chance in 2012, and we produced it again in 2015,” says Nathalie. What makes it unique? The purchase of a bottle will fund a stone that will help rebuild Château Boutinet, a magnificent estate that is unfortunately in ruins.
On that date, they will also be opening a new tasting room: “It’s a unique tasting room… I can’t say any more. It’s a surprise,” Nathalie concludes cryptically. Stay tuned…
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