Vignobles J.J. Nouvel

Vignobles J.J. Nouvel - a small star in Bordeaux

Vignobles J.J. Nouvel is a company in the star region of Bordeaux in western France. It is managed by winemaker Cathérine Papon Nouvel, who unites several family wineries under this name. These include Château Gaillard, Château Petit Gravet Aîné and Clos Saint-Julien. The family's history as winemakers dates back to 1792. The three estates have thus been in the family for longer; Cátherine took them over in 1998 after completing her winemaking studies and honing her skills at the Château Peyrou estate in neighboring Côtes de Castillon. This winery is also still run by Cathérine today.

The terroir of the Vignobles J.J. Nouvel estates

The three wineries of Vignobles J.J. Nouvel belong rather to the smaller ones, but of course this does not diminish the quality, on the contrary. Château Gaillard is the largest of the three, with 20 hectares of vines, while Clos Saint Julien has just 1.2 hectares.

The soils of Château Gaillard are dominated by sandy subsoil, on which two of the typical Bordeaux grape varieties thrive:

• 70% Merlot, vines older than 60 years
• 30% Cabernet Franc

The soils in Clos Saint-Julien, on the other hand, are strongly influenced by limestone; the whole of Bordeaux rests on a limestone base that emerges here. Merlot and Cabernet Franc also grow here.

Château Petit Gravet Aîné is interesting in that it is planted almost exclusively to Cabernet Franc, atypical of Bordeaux. This fact stems from a division of property under Cathérine's grandmother, Marie-Louise. 2.3 hectares of vines belong to this vineyard, which also has very sandy soils.

All vineyards are farmed biodynamically under Cathérine's guidance.

From the vineyard to the cellar of Vignobles J.J. Nouvel

In the best Bordeaux fashion, Vignobles J.J. Nouvel wines are aged in French oak barrels to develop their full potential. At Clos Saint-Julien, they rely entirely on new wood. The aging period varies from 18 months to one year. Spontaneous fermentation is used, and stainless steel tanks are used before bottling in barrels. 

Contrary to the trend of producing heavy, tannic wines, which Vignobles J.J. Nouvel also followed, Cathérine belongs to the group of winemakers who produce elegant and finesse-rich wines. This decision can safely be called ingenious, it has given the wines of Vignobles J.J. Nouvel in recent years numerous awards, such as top ratings by Robert Parker in the range of 95 points and more. As a result, the wines of Cathérine are often sold out, so you have to be quick if you want to secure such a pearl.