It was in 2000 that Henri Duporge took over the family farm located in Bayas in the north of Libournais, just above Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, and created Château Le Geai.
It is a very old estate, proof of this is its great great aunt: Mimi Ronqueille used to make wine there! At the time, we were already mixing pleasures since we practiced a diversified agriculture, with breeding of sheep, horses and other farm animals. Today, this diversity remains: hedges, meadows and fruit trees frame the vines.
Passionate, Henri ensures himself the work of the vineyard, the vinification and the elaboration of the wine. Engaged in organic farming and biodynamics for nearly 10 years, Henri offers elegant, unique wines, respectful of nature and tradition. He partially works the soil on horseback, only very sparingly uses sulfur from volcanic rock, the earth and the vines do not undergo any chemical treatment and do not receive any insecticide.
And since we like diversity, we find here the famous Bordeaux grape varieties Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Malbec and Carménère often used in the region in the 19th century. The vines grow on sunny hillsides, in the midst of rich and varied vegetation. The yields are moderate.
In the cellar, the winemaking methods stand out from regional habits, because punching down, pumping over, unloading and working with indigenous yeasts. The grape varieties are vinified separately in small vats, then rest in amphora or barrels. Imbued with the know-how of his ancestors, Henri Duporge enriches traditional methods and puts in his wine all the passion of his profession.
We clearly feel a great mastery of the vinification. Whether it is its blends or its “pure” cuvées, everything is perfectly in place, with a natural elegance and deliciousness to spare. Not so common to succeed in all of this. Henri Duporge strives to let all the aromas of the fruit flourish through complex blends to develop a wine with a unique character.
Blend: 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 6% Carmenère
Terroir: hillsides overlooking the Isle River, sloping south and south-east Sandy-clay soils with iron dross in the basement
Vineyard: no chemicals or natural insecticides are used. The vines and the land are cultivated with the greatest respect for organic farming. Superficial soil work is carried out, according to the rules of biodynamics
Vinification: the different grape varieties are vinified separately, with very little sulphites (only natural sulfur from volcanic rock). The winemaking methods vary with punching down, pumping over and unballasting. Fermentation is natural, no yeast is added.
