Château Odilon The Magic of Merlot in the Haut-Médoc
Since 1868, the Rothschild family has stewarded some of the most celebrated properties in France's iconic Bordeaux region. The stories these incredible estates tell are unique, but united by the common threads of legendary terroir and sustainable farming of the land. Though Château Odilon has only been in the Rothschilds’ care for a few decades, the estate has a long and rich history …
Once upon a time, this bucolic haven in the Haut-Médoc was called Château Peyre-Lebade. It has an interesting origin, with records dating back to the 12th century when Cistercian monks at the Abbey of Vertheuil tended vines on the land. Many centuries later in the late 1800s, the great French painter Odilon Redon also lived here and captured many of his most famous works gazing out on the undulating hills. In 1979, the forward-thinking Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who already owned the neighboring Châteaux Clarke and Malmaison, acquired the property and began to restore it to its former glory, as he saw something that had been overlooked by others in the past.
Anomalous for the Haut-Médoc (where cabernet is king), Château Odilon’s vineyard in the Listrac-Médoc district is planted mainly to merlot, along with smaller plantings of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. The property’s unique terroir is better suited to the cultivation of merlot than cabernet, and the wines have a beautifully bright, aromatic style. Technical Director Fabrice Darmaillacq has been leading this special winery in Listrac to ever-higher heights of quality since taking up the reins — and the future here has never looked so bright.
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Location
Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France
Terroir
Located on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, the Haut-Médoc region is dominated by plantings of cabernet. However, Château Odilon’s unique terroir has proven particularly well-suited to the cultivation of merlot grapes. The property lies in the middle of a limestone plateau. The soils are composed of well-draining clay and limestone, which give the vines remarkable drought resistance. Proximity to the Atlantic Ocean brings an element of freshness, which is reflected in the bright, aromatic style of the wines. As a result, Château Odilon has a very distinctive character for a Médoc wine.
Viticulture
Château Odilon’s vineyard consists of 55 hectares / 136 acres, mainly planted to merlot, with smaller plantings of cabernets sauvignon and franc. The average vine age is 30 years and the vineyard is managed with sustainable farming practices. Cultivation methods remain traditional, with grass cover between the rows. Leaf-thinning and green harvesting are carried out throughout the vineyard to achieve optimal levels of ripeness and concentration in the grapes. Harvesting is done manually and mechanically, with a dual sorting of the grapes to ensure only the best-quality fruit makes it into the wine.
Precisely Crafted with Traditional Winemaking Practices
Château Odilon, like every Rothschild winery, practices traditional Bordeaux winemaking techniques. Vinification occurs in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, with cold pre-fermentation maceration to preserve the primary fruit flavors and pumping over to extract maximum color and character. Micro-oxygenation takes place in vats, then the wine ferments over 15 days under controlled temperature at 18°C / 64°F. The wine is then transferred to barrels for a period of 14 months.
