La Grolet

The Integrity Take

Rachel Hubert, from Chateau Peybonhomme, manages this property in addition to her other job! Her parents invested in Cotes de Bourg in 1997 to add another jewel of Bordeaux to their holdings. This 54 hectare plot, with 38 hectares planted to vine, is farmed following biodynamic principals. The wines from La Grolet have slightly broader shoulders than the sister Peybonhomme and is a great companion within their portfolio.

In the commune of Saint-Ciers-De-Canesse, Château La Grolet covers 54 hectares divided into 38 hectares of red vineyards
Gravel-muddy layer covering a clay silt-laden base
65% Merlot, 30% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec. Planted on South-South-West steep hills

The Story

Catherine and Jean-Luc Hubert, along with daughter Rachel, are proprietors and wine makers of the Château Peybonhomme- Les-Tours with the appellation Premières Côtes de Blaye and of Château La Grolet in Côtes de Bourg. These 2 estates produce wines which are examples of the work carried out in Biodynamics. The care given to meticulous and natural winemaking that is closely linked to Biodynamics makes it possible to achieve complexity and purity. One stormy night in December 1999 was the impetus for Jean-Luc and Catherine Hubert to convert their two vineyards to organic and to use biodynamic methods. The storm had winds up to 200 km/hour, uprooted many trees and even damaged the tower of the castle they call home. Jean-Luc describes it as “apocalyptic” and as they listened to the winds howl, the next year they stopped using chemicals and started the transition to biodynamics.

In the commune of Saint-Ciers-De-Canesse, Château La Grolet covers 54 hectares divided into 38 hectares of red grape vineyards, the rest in natural meadows, woodland, river and sources, a structure that has remained unchanged for centuries. With its vineyard divided into small terraces and steep slopes, Château La Grolet is proud to carry the Côtes de Bourg appellation in a landscape that is worthy of “little Switzerland of Gironde”. Jean-Luc Hubert’s desire has always been to create wines which embody the living memory of the terroir. Fifth generation winemaker, indeed, Jean-Luc Hubert is a viticulturist to whom the history and the life of the vineyard and the estate are a vital ingredient of the wine.

Weed killers are banned and products used to treat the vines are limited to Sulphur and bacillus thuringiensis. The vines are only fed with natural fertilizer, rock powder, organic compost, and green fertilizer. Insects help to reduce the use of fungicides, including copper widely used in Organic Agriculture. The strategy focuses on maintaining biodiversity involving the auxiliary predators of vine parasites. Indirectly, the greater level of biodiversity, the lower the doses of treatment required.