Why it matters
The producer
Horse drawn ploughing and manual hand harvest are part of the vineyard work at Château de la Vieille Chapelle. The estate farms 11 hectares in Lugon-et-l'Île-du-Carnay, with no chemical inputs in the vineyard. Its wines ferment with indigenous yeasts, are unfiltered, and are made without crushing. Whites may sometimes be fined.
Total SO2 stays between 25 and 35 mg/L for reds and between 40 and 60 mg/L for whites. The cellar keeps the additions low while preserving the estate's red, white and rosé range.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Château de la Vieille Chapelle is in Lugon-et-l'Île-du-Carnay on Gironde's Right Bank. The estate's Bordeaux wines are made at one address, with the range extending across red, white and rosé styles.
Wines to know
The range in view
The named bottles include the 2025 Les Amuse-Gueules Château de la Vieille Chapelle, a 100% Merlot press rosé, and the 2021 Château de la Vieille Chapelle red. The estate's primary red varieties are Merlot and Cabernet Franc, while Sémillon is the main grape for whites.
Cuvée Tradition is a straightforward, well balanced Bordeaux with flavorful tannins, aromas of ripe red fruit, and a full bodied aromatic palate. The range therefore moves from a Merlot press rosé to Bordeaux red with tannin, fruit and body, alongside white wines based primarily on Sémillon.