Chateau Bourgneuf Pomerol Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Bourgneuf Pomerol with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, the 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 Bourgneuf History, Overview

Chateau Bourgneuf Vayron is one of the oldest family-owned properties in the Pomerol appellation. The Vayron family has owned and managed the estate starting in 1821. The vineyard has remained the same size since the Vayron family bought the property.

Interestingly, until 2012, the wines of Chateau Bourgneuf were sold and labeled differently, depending on the country. In some countries, the wine was sold as Chateau Bourgneuf. In other countries, the wine was marketed as Chateau Bourgneuf Vayron. That odd practice started in about 1970. That ended with the 2014 vintage when the chateau officially changed its name to Chateau Bourgneuf.

Chateau Bourgneuf Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 8.86-hectare vineyard of Chateau Bourgneuf is planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard is well situated on good terroir, right next to the vineyards of Chateau Trotanoy on the Pomerol plateau. Trotanoy is not their only famous neighbor! Chateau LEglise Clinet is located directly northeast of Chateau Bourgneuf as well. They also have vines next to La Cabanne. 

The terroir of Chateau Bourgneuf is made up of three different soil types. So, you can easily divide the vineyard into three separate sections. Their best parcels are located on the plateau, which features deep, clay with iron deposits in the terroir. They also have have a section of vines planted in clay with sand, and lower on their slopes, they have terroir with sand, and gravel.

The goal of the Right Bank estate is to slowly add more Cabernet Franc vines, bringing the percentage of that grape variety up to 15% of the planted acreage. On average, the vines are an impressive 40 years of age. They also have old vines, with one parcel that is more than 70 years of age! The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,000 vines per hectare.

To produce the wine of Chateau Bourgneuf, vinification takes place in traditional, temperature-controlled, cement vats that range in size from 25 hectoliters up to 70 hectoliters. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine is aged in an average of 35% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 14 months before bottling, depending on the character and style of the vintage.

There is a second wine, Les Saisons de Bourgneuf. The annual production ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 cases of Chateau Bourgneuf per vintage.

The best vintages of Chateau Bourgneuf are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2001 and 2000. 2018, 2019 and 2020 are the finest vintages of Chateau Bourgneuf I have ever tasted.

Previously, Chateau Bourgneuf produce a rustic, lighter, traditional style of Pomerol wine that could have been better, based on its terroir. However, today, that is no longer the case. Starting with the 2016 vintage, the estate really upped their game and began producing very good wine. Just 2 years later, they kicked off a series of beautiful gems, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023 are all worth your time and attention.

When to Drink Chateau Bourgneuf, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Bourgneuf can be enjoyed on the young side with an hour or so decanting. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

The wine is usually better with 4-7 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. In the best years, the wine will be best between 5 and 15 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Bourgneuf with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Bourgneuf is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Bourgneuf is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Bourgneuf is also good with a a myriad of assorted Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, as well as with a wide variety of hard, and soft cheeses.

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