Château Olivier

The origins of Château Olivier date back to the Middle Ages, when the estate was just a keep. In the estate's own history, Edward of Woodstock, the 'Black Prince' and eldest son of King Edward III, loved to hunt in its oak forest. In the early 16th century Arthus d'Olivey, Lord of Léognan, transformed the keep into a defensive château surrounded by four towers, walls and a moat, and gave it his name; he was the first owner to plant vines. At the end of the 17th century the estate was owned by Jacques de La Serre, Lord of Olivier. In the 18th century, following its acquisition by Jacques Fossier de Lestard, advisor to the king, the château gained its current shape: the first winery facilities were installed and a hydraulic system was set up around a jet pool, a fountain and two bodies of water. Alexandre de Bethmann, co-owner of Gruaud-Larose, became mayor of Bordeaux in 1867 and built the Fountain of the Three Graces on the Place de la Bourse. Château Olivier entered the Bethmann family through the wife of his grandson Jacques de Bethmann, the great-grandfather of the current owners. In 1982 Jean-Jacques de Bethmann took over direct running of Château Olivier after a long period of tenant farming. In 2021 his daughter Eléonore de Bethmann succeeded her brother Alexandre and took over the governance of the estate.

• Early 16th century: Arthus d'Olivey, Lord of Léognan, built the moated, four-towered château that bears his name and was the first owner to plant vines.
• 18th century: after its acquisition by Jacques Fossier de Lestard, advisor to the king, the first winery facilities were installed.
• Bethmann family: Château Olivier entered the family through the wife of Jacques de Bethmann, grandson of Alexandre de Bethmann.
• 1982: Jean-Jacques de Bethmann took over direct running after a long period of tenant farming; 2021: Eléonore de Bethmann took over the governance.

The Bethmann family owns Château Olivier. Jean-Jacques de Bethmann's children, Eléonore, Flore and Alexandre, carry on the family tradition, and in 2021 Eléonore de Bethmann succeeded her brother Alexandre in the governance of Château Olivier. Laurent Lebrun joined as General Director in 2002 and held that role as of the 2021 vintage. Under Lebrun, a geological survey of the property was undertaken, and in 2003 the estate's team worked with Denis Dubourdieu and Xavier Choné on a geological inventory of the estate.

• Owner: the de Bethmann family.
• Governance: Eléonore de Bethmann since 2021, succeeding her brother Alexandre.
• General Director: Laurent Lebrun, who joined in 2002 (in post as of the 2021 vintage).

Château Olivier lies at 175 Avenue de Bordeaux in Léognan, 11 km from Bordeaux. Isolated from other nearby vineyards, the 230-hectare estate is protected by a surrounding forest of hundred-year-old oaks, deciduous woodland, pine forest, copses and grasslands, and virtually all of it falls within the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Its 60 hectares of vines, 52 red and 8 white, cover two glacial terraces. In 2003 the estate's team worked with Denis Dubourdieu and Xavier Choné on a geological inventory that identified 13 different soil types, including gravel, clay, limestone and blue marl. As of 2021, the soils were 50% gravel, 35% clay-limestone and 15% sand, the average vine age was 25 years, and the red plantings were 58% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. The 6-hectare Bel Air plot was planted from 2004 to 2006 on dense, compact gravels. The 1.5-hectare Belle Vue area, planted in 2011 on a clay subsoil, saw the introduction of Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are tested there for their freshness on clay. The Bois des Palomières plot, on deep, compact gravels, was planted in 2022 and gave its first harvest in 2024, and a further plot was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 2024. The estate has increased the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot as an adaptation to climate change. For the white varieties, a massal selection of old Sémillon clones was made with the association for the protection of white Bordeaux grape varieties created by Xavier Planty, and the estate prioritises its limestone and limestone-clay terroirs for its white wines.

• 230-hectare estate; 60 hectares of vines (52 red, 8 white) on two glacial terraces.
• 13 soil types identified in a 2003 geological inventory with Denis Dubourdieu and Xavier Choné.
• As of 2021: soils 50% gravel, 35% clay-limestone and 15% sand; average vine age 25 years; red plantings 58% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot; white plantings 80% Sauvignon and 20% Sémillon.
• Recent plantings: Bel Air (6 ha, 2004 to 2006), Belle Vue (1.5 ha, 2011) and Bois des Palomières (2022, first harvest 2024).

Château Olivier's conversion to organic growing began in 2016. The estate holds three certifications: organic from the 2024 vintage, HV3 from the 2016 vintage, and ISO 14001.

• Conversion to organic growing from 2016; certified organic from the 2024 vintage.
• HV3 certification from the 2016 vintage; ISO 14001 certification.

A new winery was installed at Château Olivier in 2001. Grapes are harvested by hand, vinified plot by plot and aged in barrels. For the 2019 Château Olivier red, the harvest ran from 17 September to 8 October, by hand into small crates; the wine was aged for 12 months in barrel, 35% of them new, from a yield of 47 hl/ha. In 2021 the red harvest ran from 27 September to 11 October and the white harvest from 8 to 16 September, both by hand, with yields of 40 hl/ha for each wine.

• New winery installed in 2001.
• Hand harvest, plot-by-plot vinification and ageing in barrels.
• 2019 red: 12 months in barrel, 35% new; yield 47 hl/ha.
• 2021: red harvest 27 September to 11 October, white harvest 8 to 16 September; yields of 40 hl/ha.

Château Olivier makes two grand vins, Château Olivier red and Château Olivier white, both Pessac-Léognan Cru Classé de Graves, and a second wine, Dauphin d'Olivier, in red and white. The red grand vin is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot in 2019, and 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot in 2021. The white grand vin was 80% Sauvignon and 20% Sémillon in 2021; some vintages of the white also include 2% Muscadelle. Dauphin d'Olivier red blends Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Dauphin d'Olivier white blends Sauvignon and Sémillon.

• Château Olivier red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot (2021: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot).
• Château Olivier white: 80% Sauvignon and 20% Sémillon in 2021.
• Dauphin d'Olivier, the second wine: a red of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and a white of Sauvignon and Sémillon.

Château Olivier describes its red and white wines alike as sharing a 'precise, clean, authentic style', and as 'fine wines for laying down that offer naturally complex aromas and nuances.' It calls its whites 'precise and structured whilst also revealing huge complexity after a few years.' Writing in Decanter, James Lawther MW described Olivier (since 2004) as 'ripe, smooth and modern in style' and called 2004 'a watershed vintage for Olivier.'

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/le-chateau-olivier/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/a-unique-ecosystem/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/our-wines/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/vin/chateau-olivier-red/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/vin/chateau-olivier-white/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/vin/dauphin-dolivier-red/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/vin/dauphin-dolivier-white/, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/en/visits-tastings/, and the estate's technical sheets (PDF): https://www.chateau-olivier.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FT-CO-Rouge-2021.pdf, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FT-CO-Blanc-2021-1.pdf, https://www.chateau-olivier.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FICHE-CHT-OLIVIER-ROUGE-2019.pdf. Secondary sources: Decanter (Clive Coates MW, last updated 26 May 2020; James Lawther MW, last updated 5 June 2020). Last verified 2026-10-19. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.