Fabrice Priou et Emer Kirwan-Buckley
Château Sirio
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Region :
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APPELLATION :
We are Emer and Fabrice, Independent Winegrowers since 2015 on our AOP Graves estate, Château Sirio. We practice sustainable viticulture
Anecdotes about the domain
While searching the departmental archives, we found this deed of sale drawn up on October 19, 1759 of the "Maison Noble de Couteleyre", the former name of the Château Sirio estate. The inventory describes the main building as well as the wine storehouse, which attests to the viticultural activity of the property. This activity has been going on for at least 270 years! It is for this reason that we have named our second wine "Château de Couteleyre". "Aut bibat aut abeat" - This Latin saying appears on the label of Château Sirio. Suggested translation: "Drink up or get out! The Romans were wary of anyone who did not drink at a feast, as he could be a spy ready to note the indiscretions of the guests once their tongues were loosened a little by the wine! The coat of arms on the label is that of the Kirwan family (Ó Ciardhubháin in Gaelic), one of the fourteen merchant families that dominated the social and political life of the city of Galway in Ireland in the 13th century, and from which Emer descends.
The domain's short story
Passionate about wine, we realized our dream of becoming winemakers when we took over Château Sirio in 2015. The estate was a perfect match for what we were looking for: a human-sized property, where our work on the soil and the vines would have an impact. "Sirio" is the Latin name for the Ciron River, which runs through the region and empties into the Garonne near the estate.
The winemaker's pride
The estate of Château Sirio is a 12-hectare estate in the Graves appellation, located at the gates of the town of Cérons. The building, which dates from the 18th century, is composed of a farmhouse and vat and barrel cellars. Our vines are planted in one piece around the property, surrounded by forests. A natural wetland with a pond and bamboo trees provides coolness even in summer. In fact, we benefit from a microclimate that is one or two degrees cooler than our neighbors, which is reflected in our pruning and harvesting schedule, which is always about two weeks later. This singular geography allows us to control the care given to our soils and vines, isolated from any other external influence. Our work and our commitments Our commitment to quality and respect for the environment extends to the entire production process, from the work in the vineyard to the bottling. We enrich our soils with organic fertilizers, we grass our rows, we prune our vines respecting the flow of the sap, and we harvest each plot at optimal maturity. Since 2023, we are members of the BEEFRIENDLY label, the label of farmers committed to the protection of pollinators. We do not use CMR products. Our wines Currently, we have 6 hectares in production of red Graves (80% Merlot ; 20% Cabernet-Sauvignon) and 3 hectares of white Graves (80% Sauvignon blanc and gris, 20% Sémillon). Our wines express all the typicity of the Graves terroir. Our reds are elegant and structured, with a lot of finesse, aromas of red and black fruits, tannins subtly present. They are aged 6 months in vats, then 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which are new. Our whites are dry, fruity and lively, with a fleshy mouth with aromas of white flowers and citrus fruits. The Sauvignon and Sémillon are aged for 6 months in barrels, new for the Sémillon and one and two wines for the Sauvignon. The lees are regularly stirred. Thanks to the competence of our team, our wines are regularly recognized by the critics and rewarded by medals. Recently: in April 2023 the Chateau Sirio red 2020 was awarded the Grand Gold Medal at the Frankfurt International Wine Trophy with a score of 96/100. The 2019 Sirio red was rated 91/100 by Wine Enthusiast. Our white 2020 received a star in the Guide Hachette 2023 and was rated 92/100 by Wine Enthusiast.
Pictures of the domain
