Producers/Château de la Grave

The Château de la Grave family in their vineyard — The Bassereau family, Château de la Grave — farming the Côtes de Bourg since 1906

Château de la Grave

From: Côtes de Bourg, France

Background

The Bassereau family have farmed this Côtes de Bourg estate on the Bordeaux right bank since 1906, working Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Sémillon and Colombard in foudre, barrel, concrete and terracotta jars.

Château de la Grave has been in the Bassereau family since 1906, when the estate on the right bank of the Gironde, in the Côtes de Bourg, was first purchased. Five generations have farmed these gravel and clay-limestone slopes, and today the château is both a working vineyard and a family home.

The estate is in conversion to organic farming. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec drive the reds; Sémillon and Colombard the whites. The cellar is unusually diverse for Bordeaux: foudres, barrels, concrete vats and terracotta jars are all used, chosen per cuvée rather than by habit.

The range runs from the classic Château de la Grave Rouge and the deep, malbec-driven Caractère to the barrel-fermented Grains Fins blanc, the amphora-aged Dolia, the experimental Les Choses series and the estate's méthode traditionnelle sparklers. It is one of the most complete and characterful estates on Bordeaux's right bank.

Farming

In conversion to organic

To find out more about this producer and their wines, send us an enquiry and we will reply within two business days.

Wines by this producer

Nectar (red, 100% Merlot, old vines)Info sheet (PDF)
Caractère (red, 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon)Info sheet (PDF)
Classic (red, 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec)
Rouge Terre (red, 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Grains Fins (white, 60% Sémillon, 40% Colombard)Info sheet (PDF)
Dolia (white, 50% Sémillon, 50% Colombard)
Les Choses qu'on Aime (red, 90% Malbec, 10% Merlot)Info sheet (PDF)
Les Choses à l'Envers (red, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot)Info sheet (PDF)
Les Choses Autrement (red, 100% Merlot)
Les Choses sans S (red, 50% Malbec, 50% Merlot)
Les Choses en Rose (rosé, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon)Info sheet (PDF)
Les Choses qui Pétillent Rosé (sparkling, Pétillant naturel, rosé)
Villa Ida Rouge (red, 100% Merlot)
Villa Ida Blanc (white, 70% Chenin, 30% Colombard)
Villa Ida Rosé (rosé, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Villa Ida Orange (white, 100% Colombard, skin macerated)
Bulles de Campagne Brut Nature (sparkling, Sémillon, Colombard)

Tasting notes and tech sheets on the wines page

A short film from the estate. Harvest photos © Pierre-Marc.

Côtes de Bourg, France

The Bassereau family have farmed this Côtes de Bourg estate on the Bordeaux right bank since 1906, working Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Sémillon and Colombard in foudre, barrel, concrete and terracotta jars.

The estate

Château de la Grave, in pictures.

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The Château de la Grave family in their vineyard — The Bassereau family, Château de la Grave — farming the Côtes de Bourg since 1906

Château de la Grave under a dramatic sky beside a vineyard track — The estateThe château on its Côtes de Bourg slope

Château de la Grave seen from above at dusk — The estateEvening light over the estate

Turreted façade of Château de la Grave against blue sky — The estateThe turreted façade

Château de la Grave framed by trees on its drive — The estateThe drive to the château

Château de la Grave beside a gravel road through the vines — The estateThe road through the vines

Open iron gates leading toward the vineyards — The estateThe gates to the vines

Stone wing of the château with climbing vines — The estateThe stone wing in autumn

Château rising over green vine rows — The estateSummer vines below the château

Château de la Grave behind a tree-lined hillside — VineyardsGravel and clay-limestone slopes

Château skyline behind a bank of vines — VineyardsMerlot and Malbec parcels

Sheep grazing a green Bordeaux hillside in spring — VineyardsGrazing between the rows

A horse grazing in the dry grass of the vineyard — VineyardsA horse at work on the estate

Wildflowers in front of the vines at sunrise — VineyardsWildflowers at first light

A cluster of ripe blue grapes among green leaves — VineyardsRipe red grapes

Grapes colouring at véraison — VineyardsVéraison in July

Sheep resting beneath the château walls — VineyardsSheep beneath the walls

Crates of white grapes on a trailer with pickers behind — HarvestWhite grapes arriving from the vines

Two pickers carrying a red crate through the vines — HarvestPicking by hand

Hand holding a bunch of dark grapes — HarvestThe first bunches

A picker emptying a crate of grapes — HarvestEmptying the crate

Grapes tipped into a tub at sunset — HarvestTipping into the bin

Grapes pouring from a harvester under a blue sky — HarvestMachine harvest

A hand offering a bunch of white grapes — HarvestWhite grapes at ripeness

Winemaker standing among the vines at harvest — HarvestWalking the rows

Lou Bassereau standing among the vine rows — The familyLou in the vines

Lou Bassereau pruning a vine — The familyPruning in winter

A father and child picking grapes together — The familyPicking together

A winemaker sitting in the grass with a white guard dog — The familyWith the estate dog

A relaxed moment on a bench with the dog — The familyA moment of rest

Terracotta amphorae glowing in warm light — The cellarTerracotta jars for Dolia

Terracotta jars in the dim cellar — The cellarAmphorae in the cellar

Rows of oak barrels beneath wooden beams — The cellarThe barrel hall

Stacked barrels in warm light — The cellarBarrels in warm light

Large oak foudres lining the cellar — The cellarLarge foudres

Barrel stacks and a ladder in the cellar — The cellarCellar racks

From the Enotri portfolio

The wines

NectarRed · 100% Merlot, old vines
CaractèreRed · 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
ClassicRed · 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec
Rouge TerreRed · 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Grains FinsWhite · 60% Sémillon, 40% Colombard
DoliaWhite · 50% Sémillon, 50% Colombard
Les Choses qu'on AimeRed · 90% Malbec, 10% Merlot
Les Choses à l'EnversRed · 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Les Choses AutrementRed · 100% Merlot
Les Choses sans SRed · 50% Malbec, 50% Merlot
Les Choses en RoseRosé · 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Les Choses qui Pétillent RoséSparkling · Pétillant naturel, rosé
Villa Ida RougeRed · 100% Merlot
Villa Ida BlancWhite · 70% Chenin, 30% Colombard
Villa Ida RoséRosé · 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Villa Ida OrangeWhite · 100% Colombard, skin macerated

Roncathe Soave DOC 2024 bottle

Nvie Langhe Nebbiolo bottle

Argonauta Verdicchio Classico Superiore 2021 bottle

Heras Cordón Reserva bottle

Collecivetta Pecorino bottle

Madonnella Montepulciano d'Abruzzo bottle

Granetto Pinot Grigio 2025 bottle

El Propósito 2023 bottle

Galáctico 2022 bottle

Bodegas Heras Cordón · Rioja Alta, Spain

Heras Cordón Reserva

Tempranillo · Red

Classic Reserva from Rioja Alta; ripe black cherry, vanilla and sweet spice, with polished tannins and a long, savoury finish.