Château Les Tours Seguy
Côtes de Bourg
GRAND VIN DE BORDEAUX
The vineyard
The vineyard
01
Geographic Situation
The castle Les Tours Seguy is located at the heart of the Côtes de Bourg (Bordeaux) vineyard which overlooks the right bank of the Gironde River 30 km north of Bordeaux. This vintage area, where vines were already cultivated in Roman times, represents 9550 acres of vineyards spread over 15 cities. Its hilly morphology leads it to often be called "Girondine Switzerland" : three lines of hills oriented towards the Southwest with steep and well-drained grounds succeed one another, where the vines bathe in the sun well sheltered from the northern wind and benefit from a climate tempered by the moderating influence of the estuary.
02
History of the estate
Documents found on the estate tell of a carving up in 1780 of the vineyards, storehouse and "wine vessels". They were followed by different notarized acts concerning the "village of the Segui or Seguy". The period of 1842 to 1859 marks the regrouping and the development of the original wineyard by Jean-Auguste Lavau, a barrelmaker by trade.
Through the generations, the property was developed by acquiring new parcels, and, the house was extended and flanked by two towers. The sales of the Seguy wines were developed, nominated "cru bourgeois” in 1908 and “1er bourgeois" from 1922 to 1949 (Bordeaux and its wines - Féret).
In 1997, M. Jean-François Breton, the 6th generation, and his wife, Marie-Agnès, became the new owners of the estate.
Jean-François Breton has developed high quality fruity as woody cuvees thanks to a high selection of French wood barrels. He has created, also, a surprising pink “Rosé de Bordeaux”, a Rosé of temperament with a pleasant freshness.
In 2015, Jean-François Breton and his wife have decided to sell the wineyard to M. Frédéric Véron.
The handing on of know-how between every generation and some « new blood »!
All the winemakers’ generations which followed one another on this wineyard have the peculiarity to have exercised another activity beforehand. Besides a transmission of the know-how between every generation, the “neophytes" brought new ideas, which allowed to sublimate the domain and its wines.
The first wine grower is for example a barrels maker, then, a doctor took over. Then, Jean-François Breton, geologist, bought the vineyard, profoundly restructured it and developed it.
Finally, Jean-François Breton has sold me the wineyard with the will to transmit all the knowledge accumulated for 20 years.
My first job as selector of spices and natural raw materials intended for perfumes, and, my passion of the wine and the nature, allow me to aim at the excellence with a point of boldness.
03
Vineyard
The domain stages on the southwest part of the plateau which goes bowing towards holy the village of Saint Ciers de Canesse. The terroirs are quite varied, here argilo-siliceous, there argilo-limestone, are suitable for the culture of the vineyard, whereas the great exposure favors excessively the maturation of its grapes.
The domain has now 13 hectares, and, the varieties are Merlots (76%) and Cabernets Sauvignons and Cabernets Francs (24%).
The varieties:
Merlot :
This variety is dominant on all the right bank of the vineyard of Bordeaux. He matures earlier than the Cabernet Sauvignon and can be sensitive to spring frosts. The Merlot in the supple and fruity characteristics presents a beautiful dark dress.
Aromas: red berries, cherry, plum, spices, leather, blackberry, licorice, truffle, violet.
Cabernet Sauvignon :
Very wide-spread in the vineyard of Bordeaux, its yield are quite low. Its grains are very dark, small with a thick skin. It gives a wine tannic and very colored, very appreciated in the assemblies. Its late maturity limits its use to the most moderate regions. Its color is red dark with a note made purple in the early youth.
Aromas: ripe blackcurrant, dark chocolate, undergrowth, tobacco, truffle.
Cabernet franc :
Cultivated in Bordeaux, it is minority almost always in the assemblies. It offers fresh and fruity aromas, as well as characteristic taste of mature fruit. In the Côtes de Bourg area, it can be exceptional of fruits and power.
Aromas: cocoa, quince, strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant mixed with notes of licorice, undergrowth, violet.