Château Le Prieuré

The estate's history begins in 1686, when the Berthomieu de Meynot family acquired two planted plots for vine growing in the Fongaban and Les Menuts lieux-dits. Etienne Berthomieu de Meynot later expanded the domaine with inherited vines in the La Clotte de Bousson lieu-dit, and the wine from these plots went by the name Le Cru des Cordeliers until 1897. That year the estate was purchased by Joseph Brisson, Mayor of Néac, who also owned the Siaurac estate in Néac and was elected MP for the Gironde in 1902. He expanded the Cru des Cordeliers with plots in Fongaban and Bergat, which marked the beginnings of Château Le Prieuré. Madeleine Brisson married Baron Louis Guichard, and they inherited the Saint-Émilion property; their son Olivier Guichard, Minister of State and chief of staff for General de Gaulle, retained ownership until 2004. His daughter Aline and her husband Paul Goldschmidt then managed the property until 2017. Artémis Domaines then took over the estate in 2017 and ran it until 2020. Les Terroirs de Suravenir, a subsidiary of the Arkéa group, acquired Le Prieuré in 2020.

• 1686: the Berthomieu de Meynot family acquires two planted plots in the Fongaban and Les Menuts lieux-dits
• Until 1897: the wine goes by the name Le Cru des Cordeliers
• 1897: Joseph Brisson, Mayor of Néac, purchases the estate and adds plots in Fongaban and Bergat
• Until 2004: Olivier Guichard retains ownership; his daughter Aline and her husband Paul Goldschmidt then manage the property until 2017
• 2017: Artémis Domaines takes over the estate and runs it until 2020
• 2020: acquisition by Les Terroirs de Suravenir, a subsidiary of the Arkéa group

Les Terroirs de Suravenir, a subsidiary of the banking group Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, also owns Château Calon Ségur and Château Capbern in Saint-Estèphe and Château Vray Croix de Gay in Pomerol. Since 2022, viticulture and vinification at Château Le Prieuré have been managed by Calon Ségur's technical team, and the blending sessions are held under the advice of oenologist Eric Boissenot. The estate's technical sheet for the 2022 vintage names Vincent Millet as general manager and Éric Boissenot as consulting oenologist. As of October 2020, Pénélope Godefroy, formerly of Latour, was technical director across Le Prieuré, Vray Croix de Gay and Siaurac, with ex-Petrus winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet as a consultant.

• Owner: Les Terroirs de Suravenir (Crédit Mutuel Arkéa), since 2020
• General manager: Vincent Millet (2022 vintage technical sheet)
• Consulting oenologist: Eric Boissenot, advising on the blends
• Viticulture and vinification: Calon Ségur's technical team, since 2022

Château Le Prieuré has 12 hectares of vines, 11.6 hectares of them in production, located immediately alongside the medieval town of Saint-Émilion, a five-minute walk from Porte Brunet, the town's eastern entrance. The majority of the vineyard lies on the asteriated limestone plateau; away from the plateau the land becomes more rugged, with fine-textured soils from Castillon limestone and clay, and these plots enjoy a southern exposure. The vineyard is made up of 26 distinct plots at altitudes between 56 m and 100 m. It is planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the vines have an average age of 33 years, and the estate has carried out massal selection in its most recent plantings.

• 12 hectares of vines, 11.6 hectares in production
• Asteriated limestone plateau and south-facing slopes of Castillon limestone and clay
• 26 plots at altitudes between 56 m and 100 m
• 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc; average vine age 33 years

The estate adopted an organic viticulture approach in 2015, and the same year introduced horse ploughing for terraces and steeply sloping plots that cannot be worked by tractor. Its environmental approach sits within the framework of HVE 3 (High Environmental Value Level 3) and ISO 14001 certifications under the Environmental Management System for Bordeaux wines. Grapes are harvested into small tippers, sorted in the vineyard if necessary and again on arrival in the vat house before destemming, then vinified in small, temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, with extraction through gentle microbubbling. Ageing uses new oak barrels with a moderate toast, and the wines are barrel-aged for 16 to 18 months. For the 2022 Château Le Prieuré, the technical sheet records a yield of 40 hl/ha, a 20-day vatting period and 18 months of ageing, 30% in new barrels, in one-wine barrels and amphoras.

• Organic viticulture approach and horse ploughing, both from 2015
• HVE 3 and ISO 14001 framework under the Environmental Management System for Bordeaux wines
• Small temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats; extraction through gentle microbubbling
• Barrel ageing of 16 to 18 months

Château Le Prieuré is one of the 71 grands crus classés in the Saint-Émilion grand cru classification approved by the INAO's national committee on 8 September 2022, which also named 14 premiers grands crus classés. The classification of the Saint-Émilion grand cru appellation has existed since 1955 and is revisable every ten years; the previous classification, of 2012, named 18 premiers grands crus classés and 64 grands crus classés.

• Grand cru classé in the 2022 classification (71 grands crus classés, 14 premiers grands crus classés)
• The Saint-Émilion grand cru classification has existed since 1955 and is revisable every ten years

The estate makes two wines, both in the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation: Château Le Prieuré and Délice du Prieuré, the second label of the estate. The 2022 Château Le Prieuré is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The 2021 Délice du Prieuré is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged for 16 months entirely in two-year-old barrels.

• Château Le Prieuré: 2022 blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc
• Délice du Prieuré: second label; 2021 blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc

The estate describes its wines as revealing 'subtle aromas of liquorice and black fruit on the nose, a creamy and well-balanced palate and a long, complex finish,' with 'delicate floral notes' lingering on the end-palate.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.chateauleprieure.fr/en/history, https://www.chateauleprieure.fr/en/philosophy, https://www.chateauleprieure.fr/en/team, https://www.chateauleprieure.fr/en/wines, and the estate's technical sheets (PDF): https://www.chateauleprieure.fr/uploads/FT/FT_PRIEURE_EN.pdf, https://www.chateauleprieure.fr/uploads/FT/FT_DELICE_EN.pdf. Official source: INAO, Saint-Émilion grand cru classification approved 8 September 2022 (https://www.inao.gouv.fr/node/32334/printable/pdf). Secondary source: Decanter (Chris Mercer, 20 October 2020, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/bordeaux-chateaux-sold-to-calon-segur-owner-445855). Last verified 2026-10-20. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.