Chateau Charmail

The name Charmail comes from a noble Breton family, the Traveys de Charmail, who took up residence here in the 1500s. As a wine producing estate it became noteworthy for its quality at the beginning of the 1700s.

In 1982 Olivier Seze took control of the property. In just a few short years the energetic figure had created a striking brand that was flagged by the Press and sought after by connoisseurs. His 30 year tenure were defined by a steady rise in quality – a direct product of his determination and talent.

In 2008 the estate caught the eye of Bernard D’Halluin, a northerner brought up in Bordeaux. He had been looking for a suitable property for years, and literally fell in love with the estate. Together they have formed a formidable duo: “I intend to work with Olivier and his team to continue what they are doing: listening, tasting and learning. We have new ambitions for Charmail. We want to enlarge the vineyard, achieve new things in the vines and refurbish the building. Together we are building Charmail.”

Charmail’s terror bears many striking features: The sloping terrain, combined with a southerly aspect, greatly enhance grape ripening. In addition, vines are exposed to the winds; this helps dry their leaves and the soil rapidly. The soil is a characteristic clay-gravel/sand-gravel and collovium mixture. The river itself keeps temperatures mild locally, and shelters Charmail from strong frosts.

Chateau Charmail also practices (and innovated!) cold steeping – this is intended to extract components from the grape skins rather than the pips. The anthocyanins and tannins from the skins are riper than those in the grape pips. The wines that have undergone this maceration have rounder, tighter tannins that make them more pleasant to drink earlier—all while maintaining the same keeping quality. Wines are aged for 12 months in barrels made from French oak, of which a third are new each year.