Ch. du Retout

Château du Retout, along with others, was wiped out in the 19th century by the phylloxera crisis, which occurred because vineyards were abandoned during the First World War.

In the 1950s, three devastated estates including Château du Retout, were purchased by the Kopp family, and replanted into vineyards. Father, daughter and son-in-law now manage all three estates.

Château du Retout has thirty four hectares of vineyard: thirty two hectares are located in the Haut-Médoc appellation and the other two hectares consist of mixed wine varieties. Its location is on a gravel covered rise, with an old mill sat at the highest point, in the middle of the vineyard.
The grape varieties are made up of: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot and the average age of the vines are around thirty years.

Château du Retout applies the principles of sustainable agriculture, using natural fertilisers like manure and compost. The grapes are harvested both mechanically and by hand. They are fermented for three to five weeks and then barrel aged in French oak barrels for twelve months.