The man whose name has been synonymous with Pétrus for more than 40 years has, in fact, not worked at the estate since 2011. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been busy. Andrew Jefford meets him to talk about his properties, his obsession with drainage, and handing over the reins
Pomerol: Anatomy of a portfolio
Jefford’s Trotonay vintages to try
Owned properties
La Fleur-Pétrus:
18.7ha, purchased 1950. Now comprises three parcels, all on the plateau: LFP1 (the original 7.5ha block of gravels over iron-rich clays, close to Lafleur and Pétrus); LFP2 (formerly ‘La Providence’, purchased 2005, and sold as ‘Providence’ from 2005 to 2012: a 5.9ha parcel of newly drained gravelly clays close to Hosanna); LFP3 (formerly Ch Guillot, purchased 2009: 5.3ha of gravelly clays requiring some replanting and further draining close to Le Pin and Trotanoy). Second wine envisaged.
Providence: (See above) The name may return as a second wine for La Fleur-Pétrus.
Trotanoy:
7.2ha, purchased 1953. A single parcel around the château building, divided into six blocks: newly drained gravels in front of the château and clays behind. Second wine: Espérance de Trotanoy (not produced every year). Jean-Antoine Moueix, the grandson of Jean- Pierre Moueix’s elder brother Antoine, is an additional shareholder in addition to Ets J-P Moueix and Edouard Moueix.
Hosanna:
4.3ha, purchased 1999. Formerly the core of the Certan-Giraud estate, between the LFP1 and LFP2 parcels of La Fleur-Pétrus; newly drained; mainly older vines now needing replanting.
Second wine: see ‘Certan-Marzelle’ (below).
Certan-Marzelle:
This is a second wine produced from the younger vines of Hosanna in the 2000 to 2011 vintages, and perhaps again in the future.
Bélair-Monange:
23.5ha on both the côte and plateau of St-Emilion, culminating at 88m, formed of the former Ch Magdelaine, purchased 1952, and Château Bélair, purchased 2008, close to Ausone and Canon. Second wine envisaged.
La Grave à Pomerol:
8.9ha, purchased 1971, sited close to Latour-à-Pomerol; gravel and sand soils.
Lagrange (Pomerol):
9.2ha, purchased 1953, sited close to Ch Le Gay and Ch Rouget; gravels over clay.
Farmed properties
Lafleur-Gazin:
8.7ha, adjacent to Gazin. Owned by the heirs of Madame Delfour- Borderie; gravel and sand soils.
Latour à Pomerol:
8ha in two parcels, a recently drained clay-rich parcel close to the church and a more gravelly parcel close to La Grave à Pomerol. Bequeathed on her death by the final owner, Lily Lacoste, to the Foyer de Charité de Châteauneuf de Galaure, a Catholic institution close to Montélimar.
