Chateau Lespault Martillac Pessac Leognan Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Lespault-Martillac, Pessac Leognan with wine tasting notes, and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Lespault Martillac History, Overview

While what we know of as Chateau Lespault Martillac has a long history, dating back to the days of the ancient Romans, the modern era for Chateau Lespault-Martillac began in 2009, when the owner of the property, Jean Claude Bolleau, entered into a long term, leasing contract with Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier.

This agreement allowed for Olivier Bernard to manage the estate, make and sell the wines. Prior to this arrangement, the Kressman family, who owns the neighboring Chateau La-Tour-Martillac were in charge of producing and selling the wines of Chateau Lespault-Martillac under a lease agreement that first took place in 1973.

This is the second leasing agreement Olivier Bernard has entered into. Oliver Bernard has a similar arrangement for Domaine de la Solitude which is also located in the Pessac Leognan appellation.

Chateau Lespault Martillac Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 10-hectare vineyard of Chateau Lespault-Martillac is planted for the production of both red and white Bordeaux wine. 9 hectares of vines are planted to 60% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec for the red wine.

1 hectare of vines has been reserved for the production of dry white Bordeaux wine and those vines are planted to 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon.

The vineyard of Chateau Lespault-Martillac has a terroir of gravel and clay soil. Since the vineyard management has been taken over by Olivier Bernard, only organic vineyard farming techniques are being used in the vineyards today. Lespault-Martillac was certified 100% biodynamic in 2023 for white wine and in 2024 for their red wines.

To produce the red wine of Chateau Lespault-Martillac, vinification takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks that range in size from 60 hectoliters to 80 hectoliter tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tanks. The wine is aged on its lees for the first 5 months of the aging, for a total of 14-15 months in new and used French oak barrels before bottling.

For the production of the white Bordeaux wine of Chateau Lespault-Martillac, the grapes are crushed using a pneumatic press. There is no skin contact. The wine is micro-vinified, meaning that it is entirely fermented in French oak barrels. To add richness, the wine remains on its fine less and is stirred.

There is no malolactic fermentation. The white wine is aged for an average of 10 months before bottling. The wines of Chateau Lespault-Martillac are produced by the same technical team that makes the wine of Domaine de Chevalier.

On average, the production for the red wine of Chateau Lespault-Martillac is 2,000 cases. For the white wine of Chateau Lespault-Martillac, not much is made. Only 250 cases are produced each year.

While both the red and white wine here is fine, the white wine is really quite good, and even though not much is made, it’s worth seeking it out. So far, I like the white wine better than the red. It’s just a great and surprisingly, fairly priced, white Bordeaux wine.

The Best Vintages of Chateau Lespault Martillac are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010 and 2009. Although it is important to note that vintages can vary as to their quality between the white wine and the reds as in some years, the reds are markedly better and in other vintages the whites are superior.

When to Drink Chateau Lespault-Martillac, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Lespault-Martillac can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Lespault-Martillac is usually better with at least 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Lespault-Martillac offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 6-16 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Lespault Martillac, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Lespault Martillac is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The red wine of Chateau Lespault Martillac is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Lespault Martillac is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese. The white wine of Chateau Lespault Martillac is a perfect wine to serve with shellfish, sashimi, sushi, all types of seafood, chicken, veal, and cheese.

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