Chateau Siran

Chateau Siran can first reliably be traced back to the 18th century, when the estate was in the hands of Francois Augustin Baron du Bosq, who had a daughter with Jeanne de Chaperon de Terrefort.

In 1751 she married Count de la Roque Bouillac, a military cavalryman who then went on to become mayor of Labarde, north of Macau. His daughter then brought the estate as dowry to Count de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, and the two settled at the property where they began to raise a family.

It was one of their great-grandchildren, the artist Henri, that would one day ensure that Toulouse-Lautrec became a household name, although by the time he was painting the dancers of the Moulin Rouge in Montmatre, the family and their Bordeaux estate had been parted for several decades. The property had been acquired in 1858 by the Miailhe family, who had settled in Bordeaux in the 1700s, working as wine brokers, and it has impressively remained under their tenure until today, with Brigitte Miailhe currently assuming the role of directeur.

The estate boasts 25 hectares under vine, which is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot; these are planted at 48%, 38% and 14% respectively.

The percentage devoted to Petit Verdot is notably higher than usual, and this bestows Siran with its characteristic peppered flavour. Fruit is harvested manually, is sorted at the vineyard and then transported for a second sorting in the cellars.

Temperature-regulated fermentation is made use of, followed by malolactic fermentation in oak barrels, about half of which are new per vintage. Those most favourably selected go into the grand vin Chateau Siran, whilst 15-30% go into the second wine known as S de Siran (previously known as Chateau Bellegarde).

There are another two wines produced here, known as Bel Air de Siran and Chateau Saint-Jacques. Bel Air de Siran is produced from a mere two hectares, planted at 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The second is Chateau Saint-Jacques, sourced from a further 15 hectares of the Siran estate. The grand vin features a label featuring a commission from an artist, in the style of Mouton-Rothschild.