>> The Bordeaux vineyard extend on 116,000 hectares, out of which 113,000 in A.O.C (guaranteed vintage). More than 80% is planted in red vine-plant as white shrank considerably during the last five decades. 11,000 owners produce about 6.3 million hectolitres, representing close to 2.5% of the world production of wine.
Geological formations dating back several million years were in large part eroded then partially recovered by siliceous and gravely siliceous alluviums transported and deposited by rivers coming down from the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. But it is mainly during the Quaternary that the largest part of the gravely siliceous alluviums deposited in the Bordeaux area: alluvial layers of the Isles (Lalande de Pomerol, Pomerol, north-west of Saint Emilion), of the Dordogne (south of Saint Emilion and Graves de Vayres) and the alluviums of the left bank of the Garonne and Gironde which constitute the laying of Sauternes, Graves and Haut-Medoc.

>> The region of Graves de Vayres, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC or Guaranteed Vintage Area) covers a sheer 700 hectares on part of the only commons of Vayres and Arveyres. Situated on the left bank of the Dordogne, fronting Fronsac and Saint Emilion, it forms a small inclusion of gravel in the vast area of Entre-Deux-Mers which has a soil of a very different nature.
The soils on which are produced the wine of Graves de Vayres are made of sand-gravel and sand-clay on a gravely under layer. They come from the Pyrenees layer which emerges at the Dordogne left bank. Along the river the area benefits from the moderating effect of the water mass and a particular micro climate due to the stiff relief of the opposite bank.

With this specific terroir the wines of Graves de Vayres were perfectly identified at the beginning of the 19th century. The Guaranteed Vintage of Graves de Vayres was officially recognised in 1931 by a decree of the Appeal Court of Bordeaux, and designated as an AOC by the INAO (Guaranteed Vintage National Institution) in 1937.
The Graves de Vayres AOC comprises forty odd chateaux. Its red wines with a magnificent ruby colour are smooth and delicate. Drunk young, thanks to the merlot they are fresh and fruity. They age very nicely and reach a splendid balance and smooth strength.

Le Vineyard

>> It extends on 14 hectares on the Vayres plateau, planted 80% with merlot and 20% cabernet sauvignon, on a gravely soil.
The vines, 20 years old in average, are thoroughly taken care of and their yield is kept under strict control in order to extract the best possible quality from the terroir. Sugar and flavour concentration as well as harvest quality are better in a vine with lower yield. This is due to the simple fact that the sap of the vine stock feeds less bunches, and also less clusters are better exposed to the sun.
The vine must also “suffer” and fight for humidity in depth. This is why some plots of land were heavily drained as shown on this picture taken in 2002.