Château Arcole
St-Émilion | Bordeaux
Château Arcole is a single-vineyard family estate in Saint-Émilion, producing biodynamic Grand Cru Bordeaux.
Introducing the Estate
A Hidden Gem in Saint-Émilion
Château Arcole is a hidden gem among the wineries of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. In a historic, 19th-century farmhouse in the village of Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, just south of St. Émilion, the dynamic Barthe family promotes a sustainable, people-centric vision for the future of Bordeaux.
History & Origins
A Legacy Rooted in Revolution
Château Arcole is the culmination of a story that stretches back over two centuries. In 1796, the soldier Jean Barthe played a decisive role in Napoleon’s victory at the Battle of Pont d’Arcole in Northern Italy. In gratitude, Napoleon awarded Barthe several gold coins. Rather than spending them frivolously, Jean invested in his future by buying vineyards in Bordeaux and laying the foundation for his family’s legacy.
The Barthe family named their house Château Arcole, after the battle that changed Jean’s life forever. The property has been passed down through the generations, and is now cared for by seventh-generation Véronique Barthe. Two symbols adorn its label as a tribute to this lineage: a bee, representing harmony with nature, and a portrait of Napoleon, honoring its roots.
The Vision Behind Château Arcole
Seven Generations & Counting
An accomplished winemaker with more than 20 vintages under her belt, Véronique Barthe has plenty on her plate as owner and enologist of Château La Freynelle in Entre-Deux-Mers and Château Jacquet in Bordeaux. At the family property, her husband Philippe Gardère is in charge of vineyard management and winemaking, while Véronique handles sales and communications. The whole family lives and breathes wine: their son Pierrick works nearby at Troplong Mondot, and their daughter Manon is expanding her role at Château Arcole.
The Vineyard & Land
Biodiversity in Every Row
Véronique and Philippe tend a single, five-hectare vineyard surrounding the farmhouse. The property stands out for its biodiversity: using elements of agroforestry and regenerative farming practices, they ensure that their vineyard is bursting with life.
Historically, herbicides and insecticides have not been used at Château Arcole, and the property has not been sprayed in over 60 years. Véronique and Philippe introduced biodynamic farming in 2008, with certification from Demeter following in 2012.
They use cover crops between the rows, and work the soil via light plowing with horses to control the growth of the grass when necessary. Instead of chemicals, they use green pruning to limit yields, aerate the bunches, and promote the vines’ natural defenses against diseases.
The vineyard is planted to approximately 70% merlot and 30% cabernet sauvignon on a mixture of sand and gravelly clay soils. Vines average 30 to 35 years old, and their proximity to the Dordogne river naturally protects them from water stress in most years. The family produces just one wine from the property. As is usual in the wine business, Château Arcole is a reflection of its creators. Each bottle holds an energetic, welcoming, and graceful expression of a carefully-tended vineyard with incredible biodiversity.
Winemaking Philosophy
A Gentle, Patient Hand
As with their work in the vineyard, the winemaking at Château Arcole is slow and gentle, with minimal intervention.
Once the desired balance is reached, grapes are harvested and immediately fermented, leaving no chance of oxidation. Fermentation begins spontaneously with native yeasts in horizontal stainless steel vats, which allow for more contact between juice and solid. The vats are very gently rotated once daily to submerge the cap; they do not use pumps at the winery and great care is taken to avoid over-extraction.
Philippe’s goal is elegance and balance, which he achieves via an infusion of flavor that avoids extracting harsh elements. After fermentation, 75% of the wine is moved by gravity into French oak barrels—two-thirds used and one-third new—and the remaining 25% remains in stainless steel, after which it rests between 14 and 18 months, depending on the vintage. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration. In a good year, production averages around 25,000 bottles.
Sustainability & Packaging
Sustainable Inside & Out
Sustainability is the guiding tenet at Château Arcole, and as a result, every part of their packaging is 100% recyclable.
Their bottles weigh 10% less than average in order to reduce their carbon footprint, and their neck capsules are made from 100% recyclable aluminum and tinted with natural vegetable ink. Front and back labels are made from recycled paper printed with the intaglio method, a high-quality process which uses non-toxic, water-based vegetable inks. Finally, in a departure from tradition in Bordeaux, they package their wines in recycled cardboard that is produced without toxic glues or inks.
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