Chateau d’Arche Sauternes Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau d’Arche Sauternes, Deuxiemes Crus with wine tasting notes, wine, and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau d’Arche History, Overview

Chateau d’Arche is one of the older estates in the Sauternes appellation. The property was founded by its namesake Henry d’Arche, in 1580. Over the years, like many Bordeaux wine producers, the estate was divided and sold off at different times to a wide array of owners.

At one point, it was known as Chateau d’Arche-Lafaurie-Peyraguey, due to the fact it was shared owners with Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey. In 1996, a new drainage system was installed in the vineyards. In 2005, Chateau d’Arche was sold by the Perromat family to an investor group.

Chateau d’Arche Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 40 hectare vineyard of Chateau d’Arche is planted to 90% Semillon, 9% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle. The estate has currently close to 30 hectares under vine.

The terroir is a blend of gravel, rocks, stones, clay, and limestone soils. The average age of the vines is 45 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,600 vines per hectare.

To produce the wine of Chateau d’Arche, the wine is vinified in French oak barrels and is then aged in 30% new, French oak barrels for 12 to 18 months, before bottling. It is interesting to note that Chateau d’Arche is one of the few, if not the only 1855 classified growth to use a synthetic cork.

The best vintages of Chateau d’Arche are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2005.

Chateau d’Arche produces close to 4,500 cases of wine every year. They also make a second wine, Prieure d’Arche.

Aside from their two main wines, the estate produces a high-end Cuvee from a 2-hectare parcel of their oldest vines. Those old vines that are close to 60 years of age are used to produce d’Arche Lafaurie. d’Arche Lafaurie is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for 24 months.

The chateau also makes a dry white wine from a one-hectare parcel, d’Arche Blanc as well as a dry white Bordeaux wine from vines they own in the Graves appellation.

When to Drink Chateau Broustet, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau d’Arche can be enjoyed on the young side with no decanting. In fact, it is delicious and quite a treat young. Even on release! However, like all great wines, Chateau d’Arche is much better with age.

The wine does not reach full maturity until it’s at least 10-15 years of age, or in some years, perhaps even longer in the best vintages! That is when the magic happens! But that is unrealistic for 99% of the world’s wine drinkers. So, enjoy it on any special occasion that calls for it.

Of course, the wine is sweet, but there is so much, incredible, racy acidity, the wine always feels fresh, and never cloying, which makes it quite fun to enjoy young. With Chateau d’Arche and frankly, all Sauternes, the temperature is more important than decanting.

Serving Chateau d’Arche with Wine and Food Pairings

Chateau d’Arche is best served at 14 degrees Celsius, 57 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The wine will naturally warm in the glass, while it develops more aromatic complexities and fleshes out.

Chateau d’Arche can be served with seafood dishes, especially shellfish, lobster, crab, and oysters on the half shell. Foie gras is a perfect pairing with its natural sweet, salty and savory characteristics. Chateau d’Arche can also be paired with roasted chicken, veal, and pork dishes that are either spicy or prepared with a touch of sweetness. Spicy Asian cuisine, raw fish, like sushi or sashimi, and cheese, both hard and soft also make great pairings with Chateau d’Arche.

Chateau d’Arche is one of a handful of moderately priced, Sauternes producers that understand the need to create new markets and find younger generations of customers.

To help promote their brand, they became one of the early proponents of selling their wine in individual, 10 cl, (Centiliters) about 3.4 ounces, test tube-shaped bottles, which is perfect for consumers wanting to enjoy a small glass of sweet wine. In addition to sweet white Bordeaux wine, Chateau d’Arche is now producing Gin, Rum, and Whiskey!

The technical team at Chateau d’Arche also began to oversee the winemaking and vineyard management of Clos Dady, a neighboring small Sauternes estate after it was purchased by Ilkham Ragimov.

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