Château Mangot - Famille Todeschini — Attraction in Libourne

At home last night, we opened "Préface", the first bottle of many wines we had tasted, purchased and shipped from Bordeaux. From the Chateau Mangot - Todeschini clay slopes of their Castillon vineyards it is 80% Merlot Blanc 20% Sauvignon Gris.

Until our fabulous Terroir Tour of this gem of a vineyard, I'd never tasted Merlot Blanc. There I learned it's a cross between Merlot Noir and Folle Blanche. The latter being a traditional grape in Cognac and Armagnac.

"Like the preface to a book, this 2022 vintage writes the first page in the history of our white wines." Todeschini Family

Historically: "A small vineyard of white vines was planted on our land. The white wines of Château Mangot stood out for their beautiful colour, a developed and pleasant sap, with great finesse and distinction." Editions Le Ferret, 1897.

"125 years later, we are happy to have replanted white vines on the clay slopes of Castillon. Our desire is to rewrite a page in the history of Bordeaux white wines. A historic Bordeaux grape variety that has almost disappeared."

Each of the 2022 vintage's 3,200 bottles is numbered. Released on the market for the first time in September 2023, just days before our visit, we brought a few of those numbers home to enjoy and taste with friends.

Aromatic quality, I find notes of pear, honeysuckle, sage, fresh hay and grasses.

A nice aperitivo wine, I plan on taste testing the next glass with Gouda cheese.

One to keep an eye on as this 80/20 blend becomes more well known.

Their Terroir Tour, is a definite one to take when in...

This visit to château Mangot was absolutely one of the highlights of our trip to Saint-Emillion!

Yes, the amounts of wine in the region are vast and the tasting opportunities are plentiful. Tasting the wine of château Mangot this morning, however, was a particularly joyful experience to us because it came with an opportunity to learn more on what it takes to produce wine biologically, biodynamically and in synergy with the vineyards’ ecosystem as well as on how various factors (e.g., soil composition, climate and biodiversity) affect different grapes and overall wine production in different ways. During a private tour through the terroirs, Axel took great care to teach me and my partner all about this, while letting us enjoy wonderful views, smells and grapes — indeed, driving through vineyards on a sunny day is wonderful for the senses anyway. Our tour ended with tasting various wines of which the complexities are being shaped by many factors, including those related to the terroirs on which they have been produced, of course.

Ramin and I will memorise this experience when drinking one of the fine wines that we eagerly bought at the end of our visit to château Mangot today. Thank you, Axel, for this...

In May 2024, we had the pleasure of visiting this remarkable Château for the first time, and it was an experience we will always cherish. Yann provided an exceptional tour, thoroughly answering all our questions about the estate's exquisite wines and rich history. The tour culminated in a delightful charcuterie board paired with wines in a stunning room dating back to the 1500s. We are eagerly anticipating our return to Bordeaux next year and look forward to revisiting Yann and Karl for another memorable experience. Thank you so much, Yann and...