Château la Grolet is proof that biodynamics and Bordeaux are not a contradiction. On the Right Bank hills of Cotes de Bourg, the Hubert family has built one of the appellation's most committed natural estates.
Backstory
The Huberts are longtime Bordeaux winegrowers; the family's Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours dates to the late 1800s. Jean-Luc and Catherine Hubert fell for La Grolet and acquired it in 1997. Their son Guillaume joined in 2007 after studies in environment and ecology, and daughter Rachel, a trained pharmacist, joined in 2012 to focus on high-quality natural wines. The siblings now represent the sixth generation.
The Region & Vineyards
The estate sits in Saint-Ciers-de-Canesse in the Cotes de Bourg. Of around 54 hectares, roughly 38 are planted to red vines, with the balance left to meadow, woodland and water. The vineyards face south and southwest on steep, gravel-rich slopes and are planted to about 65 percent Merlot, 30 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Malbec.
Farming & Winemaking
The vines have been certified organic and Demeter biodynamic since 2000. Weed killers are banned, treatments are limited to sulfur and Bacillus thuringiensis, and the soils are fed only with rock powder, organic compost and green manures. The wines are made for purity, with low sulfur, reflecting the family's commitment to natural winemaking.
The Wines
The range centers on Cotes de Bourg reds, from the classic cuvee to the Origines bottling and a Tete de Cuvee from the best parcels. They show the firm structure of the gravel terroir alongside the lift and freshness of biodynamic farming.
