Château Guadet

The Guadet family originally acquired this property in the mid-15th century. The estate takes its name from Marguerite Elie Guadet, a prominent figure whose image appears on the label and for whom a street in Saint-Émilion is named. Guadet was guillotined in 1794 during the French Revolution. The Lignac family purchased the estate in 1844 and has maintained ownership across seven unbroken generations. Guy-Petrus Lignac and Vincent Lignac now lead the domaine, and their family connection to Bordeaux's broader history runs deep: Guy-Petrus is the great-nephew of Marie Louise Loubat, the woman credited with creating the legend of Château Pétrus.

• Guadet family ownership dates to the mid-15th century
• Marguerite Elie Guadet, guillotined 1794, depicted on the label
• Lignac family has owned the estate continuously since 1844
• Guy-Petrus Lignac is great-nephew of Château Pétrus creator Marie Louise Loubat

Château Guadet sits on the high limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, just 50 metres north of the village centre. The 5.5 hectares are planted on shallow clay-limestone soils with a dominant clay-limestone subsoil structure. This terroir is well suited to both Merlot and Cabernet Franc, producing wines with natural freshness and mineral tension. The estate's physical footprint extends below ground as well: historic underground quarries, carved from the same limestone bedrock that defines the plateau, are used as the estate's cellar, linking the winemaking operation directly to the landscape beneath it.

• High limestone plateau position, 50 metres north of the village
• Shallow soils with dominant clay-limestone composition
• 5.5 hectares under vine
• Historic underground quarries used as the production cellar

The vineyard is planted with 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, a blend typical of the limestone plateau in Saint-Émilion. Merlot thrives on the cool, moisture-retaining clay-limestone soils and delivers the estate's characteristic fruit richness and texture, while Cabernet Franc contributes structure, floral lift, and aromatic complexity. Renowned Bordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt advises on winemaking, bringing a precision and site-sensitive approach consistent with his work across the Right Bank.

Château Guadet has held Grand Cru Classé status since the original Saint-Émilion classification of 1955. The estate experienced a brief disruption when it was demoted in the controversial 2006 revision, but was reinstated in 2008 following the legal challenges that overturned that classification. Its status was confirmed again in the 2012 revision. The estate is not currently classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé, sitting within the broader Grand Cru Classé tier, but its longevity within the classification reflects consistent quality on one of Saint-Émilion's most prized soil types.

Until 2004, the estate was known as Château Guadet Saint-Julien, a name carried since the Lignac family's acquisition in 1844. The addition of 'Saint-Julien' historically referenced a local lieu-dit or historical designation, but it created persistent confusion with the prestigious Médoc appellation Saint-Julien. The estate was renamed simply Château Guadet from the 2005 vintage onward to remove that ambiguity and clarify the wine's identity as a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé.