Winemaker Notes
In 1979 this property was acquired by Baron Edmond de Rothschild who already owned the neighboring estates: Châteaux Clarke and Malmaison. It marked the beginning of a new era, starting with the complete restructuration of the vineyard and restoration of the buildings.
Previously named Château Peyre-Lebade due to its geographical location – and where the first traces of viticulture date back to the 12th century and the Cistercian monks of the Vertheuil monastry – this estate has been renamed Château Odilon, in honor of the painter Odilon Redon who spent his childhood and most of his active life on the property. Many of his most famous paintings were inspired by the bucolic landscapes of the Médoc, dotted with moors and marshlands.
Château Odilon vineyard covers 55 hectares of limestone and claylimestone soils. It is planted with a majority of merlot, which is quite unique in the Médoc. The vineyard is looked after by the same team as Château Clarke and Malmaison. Cultivation methods remain traditional with grass cover between the rows. Leaf-thinning and green harvesting are carried out throughout the vineyard in order to achieve optimal levels of ripeness and concentration in the grapes. The average age of the vines is 30 years.
Château Odilon is now part of the estates led by Benjamin de Rothschild, the son of Baron Edmond. Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) has been taking care of the distribution since 1993. The vineyard is looked after by the same team as Château Clarke and Malmaison. Saskia de Rothschild, Chairwoman, is the daughter of Eric de Rothschild and Fabrice Darmaillacq is the Technical Director.
The Artist submits to the fatal rhythm of the impulses of the universal world, hypnotized by the marvels of nature which he loves. His eyes, like his soul, are in perpetual communion with the most fortuitous of phenomena" Odilon Redon
Previously named Château Peyre-Lebade due to its geographical location, the estate has been renamed Château Odilon, in honour of the painter Odilon Redon who spent his childhood and most of his active life on the property. Many of his most famous paintings were inspired by the bucolic landscapes of the Médoc, dotted with moors and marshlands.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.
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.