The 220-hectare Chateau Olivier wine estate in the Pessac Leognan wine appellation of Bordeaux only boasts 50 hectares of vines, with the rest given over to pasture and forest. The owners are the de Bethman family, originally of German descent, and the stewardship of the vineyard lies with Laurent Lebrun.

Historically the white wines here enjoyed a higher reputation then the reds, but recent re-plantings of vines have seen a sharp improvement in the quality of the red wines. The grapes are carefully sorted on arrival at the winery, and are then fermented in stainless steel vats, with strict control of temperature, before spending a year in oak barrels, of which 33% are new.

As the vines age we confidently expect to see this estate’s red wines continue to make more progress.