2020 · Château de Sales

Château de Sales is a historic family-owned estate in Pomerol, Bordeaux, held by the same family for more than five centuries and today co-owned by 14 cousins. Listed as a Historical Monument, the property began as a fortified house in the 15th century and was transformed in the 17th century, with its boundaries largely unchanged since 1578. In the north-west of Pomerol, it produces elegant Merlot-led blends from gravel and warm sandy soils with iron oxide. Winemaking combines temperature-controlled concrete vats with 12–18 months’ ageing in French oak. The estate also highlights biodiversity and agroecology, with HVE certification, no chemical weedkiller, sexual confusion in the vineyard, and ongoing work in agroforestry, cover crops, and polyculture.