Château de Pressac

Château de Pressac traces its origins to the Middle Ages, when a fortified structure with a medieval gate was first established on its commanding plateau position. The estate entered the history books permanently on June 19, 1453, when the English forces surrendered here following the Battle of Castillon, effectively ending the Hundred Years' War and returning Aquitaine to French control. Centuries later, between 1737 and 1747, proprietor Vassal de Montviel planted a grape variety he called Auxerrois, later known as Noir de Pressac. That grape is now recognized as Malbec, and Pressac's name lives on as one of Malbec's historical synonyms used across southwest France.

• Medieval gate survives as a landmark on the estate today
• English surrender of 1453 at Pressac ended the Hundred Years' War
• Vassal de Montviel introduced Malbec to the estate in the mid-18th century
• Malbec is still listed as Noir de Pressac or Pressac in French ampelography

The estate covers 41 hectares of vineyards spread across a limestone plateau in the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, on the eastern edge of the Saint-Émilion appellation. The plateau sits 80 metres above the Dordogne River and offers sweeping views over the valley and the Saint-Émilion hillsides. Soils vary across the estate: iron-rich clay-limestone over limestone bedrock on the plateau, clay-limestone on the slopes, and silty clay-limestone at the pied de côte. This mosaic of soil types suits the broad range of varieties planted, from the dominant Merlot to the historically significant Noir de Pressac and the rare Carménère.

• Commune: Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, eastern Saint-Émilion
• Plateau soils: iron-rich clay-limestone over limestone bedrock
• Slope and pied de côte soils provide additional textural and compositional diversity
• Six grape varieties grown, including the rare Carménère and Petit Verdot

Jean-François and Dominique Quenin acquired Château de Pressac in 1997 and immediately set about transforming both the cellar and the vineyard. By 1999 the winery had been completely redesigned and renovated to support a more precise, quality-driven approach to winemaking. Consultant winemaker Hubert de Boüard, himself co-owner of Angélus, brought additional expertise to the estate during its resurgence. The effort paid off in 2012 when Château de Pressac was promoted to Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion in that year's classification revision, one of the most significant reclassifications in recent Bordeaux history.

• Acquired by the Quenin family in 1997
• Cellar redesigned and renovated in 1999
• Hubert de Boüard served as consultant winemaker
• Promoted to Grand Cru Classé in the 2012 Saint-Émilion classification

Château de Pressac produces red blends in the classic Saint-Émilion Grand Cru mold, with Merlot as the dominant variety supported by Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and smaller portions of Noir de Pressac, Carménère, and Petit Verdot. The wines are rich and complex, showing ripe plum and black cherry fruit alongside notes of chocolate, spice, tobacco, and cedar. The plateau limestone terroir contributes structure and freshness, while the iron-rich clay soils add depth and mid-palate weight. The result is a wine with both generosity and age-worthiness, well suited to the profile expected of a Grand Cru Classé from the right bank.