Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Château de Panigon is a beautiful estate of 200 acres located in the northern Médoc with about 60 acres planted to vines. Its history goes back to before the French Revolution and was mentioned back in 1850 in the first edition of Bordeaux and its Wines. In the next edition in 1868, Chateau de Panigon was classified as a Cru Bourgeois. So, there is some serious bonified history to the estate.
Situated in the village of Civrac - en - Médoc, about an hour from Bordeaux, the vineyard benefits from the oceanic influence of the nearby Atlantic Ocean as well as their proximity to the Gironde estuary, which together create an ideal climatic condition for the optimum development and maturity of the grapes. Composed of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the vineyard flourishes on gravelly hillocks on some of the best terroirs in the Médoc.
Since 2006, the daughter and the son-in-law of the owners, Corinne Leveilley Dadda and Georges Dadda, have taken over the management of the Château, determined to produce red wines that seriously deliver. In 2016, Château de Panigon obtained the HVE - High Environmental Value- label, a guarantee of quality and respect for the environment.
One of the most—if not the most—famous red wine regions of the world, the Medoc reaches from the city of Bordeaux northwest along the left bank of the Gironde River almost all the way to the Atlantic. Its vineyards climb along a band of flatlands, sandwiched between the coastal river marshes and the pine forests in the west. The entire region can only claim to be three to eight miles wide (at its widest), but it is about 50 miles long.
While the Medoc encompasses the Haut Medoc, and thus most of the classed-growth villages (Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe) it is really only those wines produced in the Bas-Medoc that use the Medoc appellation name. The ones farther down the river, and on marginally higher ground, are eligible to claim the Haut Medoc appellation, or their village or cru status.
While the region can’t boast a particularly dramatic landscape, impressive chateaux disperse themselves among the magically well-drained gravel soils that define the area. This optimal soil draining capacity is completely necessary and ideal in the Medoc's damp, maritime climate. These gravels also serve well to store heat in cooler years.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.