Clos Puy Arnaud

Clos Puy Arnaud

Château Clos Puy Arnaud is a historic property of the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, located on the limestone heights overlooking the Dordogne valley. The estate was acquired in 2000 by Thierry Valette, former director of the famous Château Pavie. Upon his arrival, he undertook a profound transformation of the property with the ambition of revealing the exceptional potential of this long-underestimated terroir. He quickly converted the vineyard to organic viticulture and then to biodynamic practices, making Clos Puy Arnaud one of the pioneering estates of the appellation.

The vineyard extends over a clay-limestone plateau that is geologically very close to that of Saint-Émilion. These soils, composed of deep clays resting on a limestone slab, promote a regular water supply to the vine and give the wines great freshness as well as a marked mineral structure. The estate primarily cultivates Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc and a small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The agricultural practices favor plowing, low yields, and precise work in the vineyard to produce grapes with balanced maturity.

Today, Clos Puy Arnaud stands out as one of the qualitative references of Castillon. The wines are distinguished by their precise and elegant style, combining fruit depth, freshness, and limestone tension. The vinifications are carried out gently to preserve the expression of the terroir, and the aging is done with a moderate proportion of wood. This approach allows for the production of wines that are both accessible in their youth and capable of aging harmoniously for many years.