Pedology (the terroir)

In the Sauternes area, the local soil is representative of the Garonne bed’s geological evolution which has carried the alluvia throughout the gravel terraces. The diversity of soils and subsoils explains the variety of wines produced.

Château Monteils benefits from the superb deep gravelly soil, which is very poor and well-drained conditions favourable to great wines (The Terroir ).

The planted grape varieties are 75 % Semillon (a typical variety of the region), 20 % of Sauvignon Blanc (for its freshness) and a few Muscadelle (5 %) for its delicate aroma.
These three grapes form the ideal combination. The vines are about 25 years old on average.

Microclimate and “noble rot”

Sauternes wine is obtained by carefully picking by hand the berries that have reached an optimal level of Noble Rot.

First of all, the skin of the berries is made permeable by the effect of a “fungus”, the Botrytis cinerea. Then the sun dries up the grapes and the berries become candied or roasted.

The Ciron, a tributary of the Garonne that runs across the Sauternes region, causes this fragile alternation between sun and dampness.

At Château Monteils, we make as many passes necessary to harvest the grapes at optimal ripeness.