Château de Piote

Meet the Producer

The Aubrion family have run this small Right Bank estate since 1998, when Virginie Aubrion and her family took over the dilapidated farmhouse and surrounding land. Indomitable and determined matriarch Virginie, has always been the winemaker here and now shares the work of running the estate with her son Corentin, with other family members lending a hand as and when they can. Their aim has always been to return their home to its original state as a farm and their commitment to biodiversity is very much enhanced by their menagerie of sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, donkeys and ducks. Michel the mallard, family favourite and mascot of the estate, oversees the winemaking at every stage and can be seen on the labels of their cuvée des Potes range. The wines are hand-made and artisanal and sit on the "natural" side of the fence, but are still very proper and crafted rather than "funky".

A Note on Sustainability

At Château de Piote, they are true lovers of the land and make a point of participating in conservation to keep their ecosystem alive! On the ten hectares they have planted, with eight different grape varieties, there are no synthetic molecules used on the estate. Instead, herbal teas are planted as well as other natural materials to best fight disease and strengthen the immune defences of the vines. Even the animals on the farm play an essential role in Piote’s ecosystem. With the estate being farmed organically well before it became trendy in Bordeaux, Château de Piote have been certified biodynamic with Demeter since 2013.