Chateau Trianon St. Emilion Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Trianon St. Emilion with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on winemaking and terroir, wine tasting reviews. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Trianon History, Overview

Chateau Trianon has a long history in the St. Emilion appellation that dates back to the 1800s. However, it did not become a full-fledged vineyard until 1952, when they began making wine from just 4 hectares cultivated with vines. The estate took its name from a palace, Le Grand Trianon, which is close to Versailles

The modern era for Chateau Trianon starts in late 2000 when the vineyard and chateau were purchased by Dominique Hebrard from the Lecointre family.

Dominique Hebrard was quite well-known in the Bordeaux wine trade as he previously worked at Chateau Cheval Blanc, as his family was once the owners of the estate until the property was sold. Dominique Hebrard is also a partner with Hubert de Bouard in Chateau de Francs, located in the Cotes de Francs appellation.

2017 was a big year of change for Chateau Trianon. They began a complete, top to bottom, renovation and modernization of Chateau Trianon with a new design created by the architects Yves Collet and Emmanuel Graffeuil.

Aside from updating the chateau and all the wine-making facilities, they are also planning on adding a gastronomic restaurant.

The renovations coincided with adding a new partner, Financiere Immobiliere Bordelaise, a large investment company that maintains various interests in real estate, including the Grand Hotel in Bordeaux and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Trianon Palace in Versailles. It will be interesting to watch the progress of the wines being made at Trianon.

At the time of the purchase by Dominique Hebrard, Chateau Trianon was in poor condition. The vineyards were only 6.5 hectares, which have been expanded to 10 hectares today.

The cellars and the vat house needed renovating. The estate was not well known at the time of the purchase, because the previous owner sold the vast majority of their production to countries in Scandinavia.

In 2004, Dominique Hebrard took on a partner for Trianon, the owners of neighboring Chateau Bellefont-Belcier. Hubert de Bouard has recently been named as the consultant on the winemaking and vineyard management for the estate, so you can expect to see good things from this chateau in the future.

A complete renovation of the property and cellars was completed in 2022.

Chateau Trianon Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 14 hectare Right Bank vineyard of Chateau Trianon is planted to 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Carmenere. On average the vines are 35 years of age. However, the Carmenere could be the oldest Carmenere vines in the Right Bank, as they are close to 50 years of age.

The terroir is a mix of sand, clay, limestone, and gravel soil. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,000 vines per hectare. Newer plantings are taking place at a higher vine density, 7,200 vines per hectare.

To produce the wine of Chateau Trianon, vinification takes place in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels. The wine is aged in 50% to 60% new, French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months before bottling.

The Best Vintages of Chateau Trianon are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2010 and 2009.

There is a second wine, Le Petit Trianon. On average, the production is close to 5,500 cases of wine per year.

When to Drink Chateau Trianon, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Trianon is better with at least 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. Chateau Trianon is best enjoyed in the first 5-18 years of life.

Young vintages can be decanted for about 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Serving Chateau Trianon, with Wine and Food Pairings

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

Chateau Trianon is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Trianon is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.

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