About
Château d'Arche
Château d'Arche is a famous Sauternes, classified as 2nd Growth in 1855 estate in Gironde, Bordeaux. The holdings of the château include 53-hectares-vineyards, farmed according to a sustainable approach, with HVE Level 3 and ISO-14001 certifications. The estate has been owned by Société Anonyme Château d'Arche since 1996. Olivia Guix de Pinos is the winemaker, whose wines are fresh, elegant and well-balanced.
The estate produces 8 labels, among which: Château d'Arche Sauternes Blanc and Perle d’Arche Blanc (2nd wine). The Château d'Arche Sauternes Blanc 2015 scored 94-96, 2009 scored 94 and 2019 scored 92-94 by the Wine Advocate.
Robert Parker’s tasting notes on the Château d'Arche Sauternes Blanc 2015: “The 2015 d'Arche has an attractive bouquet with yellow flower scents infusing the honey and light pineapple scents. The palate is well balanced and cohesive, with real energy and frisson here with a very pure and seductive finish. What a beautiful Sauternes from Château d'Arche, a wine that deserves more recognition than I suspect it will receive.”
History
Château d'Arche has been owned by Société Anonyme Château d'Arche since 1996. Philippe Boël is the president, Jérôme Cosson is the director, and Olivia Guix de Pinos is the winemaker.
The history of the estate goes back to 1580. In 1611 Etienne d’Arche Knight and the Lord of Arche bought the estate.
During the French Revolution, Château d’Arche was seized and sold as a national property. Later, it was divided between several families. In 1855, Château d’Arche was classified as 2nd Growth.
In 1925, Armand Bastit-Saint-Martin, mayor of Sauternes, reunified the estate.
Approach
Château d'Arche’s vineyards are farmed according to a sustainable approach, with HVE Level 3 and ISO-14001 certifications. The vineyards are planted with 80 percent Sémillon, 20 percent Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle at a density of 6,600 vines per hectare. The soils are gravel, clay and limestone.
The harvesting is done manually.
Vinification is carried out in temperature-controlled vats. Ageing is done in French oak barrels from 12 to 18 months depending on the vintage with 50 percent of new wood. Regular rackings are conducted.