Château Macquin, Château Macquin, Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion

Château Macquin is located three kilometres north of Saint-Émilion in the village of Saint-Georges, the smallest Bordeaux appellation at just 180 hectares. Sitting 89 metres above sea level, Saint-Georges enjoys one of the best elevations on the right bank, giving the wines freshness and concentration. The south-facing vines, some as old as 60 years, are planted on a combination of clay and limestone soils. Sustainability is a crucial part of Denis and Christine’s philosophy and they have achieved 'high environmental value' certification. Their vineyards are sustainably farmed without using herbicides, pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Instead ‘proteodies’ are broadcast to the vines, as musical vibrations have been proven to combat certain vine diseases.

The 2023 season in Saint-Émilion was warm overall but marked by cool nights, a combination that helped retain freshness and balance. A delayed budbreak reduced frost risk, while spring brought humidity and notable mildew pressure, requiring careful vineyard management—especially for Merlot. From mid-summer, conditions turned steadily warm and dry without extreme heat, allowing even ripening and good flavour concentration while preserving acidity. Harvest progressed under favourable conditions.

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were gently crushed and moved to temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for fermentation, some of which were lined with oak staves. Fermentation lasted around three weeks with regular pumping over of the cap in order to extract optimum levels of colour and tannin. Following fermentation, malolactic fermentation took place in tank and then 30% of the wine was aged in new French oak barrels, giving the wine structure and complexity without overpowering the fruit. The remaining portion was kept in stainless steel until the final blend was assembled and bottled.