Château Dauzac in Bordeaux
Today I visited Château Dauzac, in the Médoc, one of the major wine regions of Bordeaux, the other being Saint-Émilion. Château Dauzac is actually in the Haut Médoc, being the lower part of the Médoc peninsula.
Château Dauzac uses principally the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties. The other varieties permitted in Bordeaux — Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère – are rarely if ever used.
Château Dauzac has a grand history, with the oldest known owner being Pétrus d’Auzac. He received the land from Richard I, “Richard the Lionheart”, King of England, Count of Poitiers, Duke of Aquitaine, Count of Maine and Count of Anjou.
It is a Margaux ”Grand Cru Classé” according to the 1855 classification. And it has the privilege of having a one-block 49 hectares vineyard: 45 hectares with the Margaux appellation and 4 hectares with the Haut-Médoc appellation.
As you can surmise from the photos, the Medoc is very flat, which may attract some wine walkers. For my part, I prefer walking in Burgundy, Champagne or Alsace where there are hills (“cotes”) to climb up and down.
But as you walk around, you notice gentle slopes in some areas. That’s where the grapes for the best quality wines are grown, as this facilitates drainage. Dauzac’s terroir is made up of a deep bench of large-sized gravel sit on a sub-soil of clay and gravel. This further facilitates drainage.
I tasted a selection of wines, which were sensational, notably the Château Dauzac 2017 Margaux, Grand Cru Classe. I only bought a half bottle, as I have to squeeze it into my wine walker’s backpack.
Logistics
TGV fast train from Paris Montparnasse to Bordeaux. Then local train or bus.