Dourthe
"One of the best and most successful wine producers in Bordeaux"
Setting new standards
Established in Bordeaux since 1840, Dourthe soon became recognised as a reliable, innovative wine producer in Bordeaux, who provides the benchmark in winemaking. This pioneering spirit can be witnessed at every stage of our history.
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In 1987, we knew we could push the boundaries in Bordeaux and create new standards, manifested in the Dourthe No.1 project and the advent of a new style of dry, white Bordeaux wine. We identified a number of motivated, partner growers and offered guidance and support with their viticultural regime and introduced new winemaking practices. Dourthe No. 1 met with immediate success, and made its mark as a true innovation, providing the gold standard in dry, white Bordeaux wine.
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Around the same time, we also realised that if we wanted to pursue greater ambitions, we needed to expand our own vineyards. This was the starting point for our burgeoning implication in the field of viticulture. Since Chateau Belgrave in 1979, we have acquired eight additional properties over the last twenty-five years. While each property was approached as a unique adventure, during this period we developed a growing passion for our vines and wines, and launched a major improvement plan across the entire portfolio of estates.
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By the year 2000, we had gained an in-depth understanding of our vineyards, and had identified a number of vineyard blocks of outstanding quality, on a par with the very best. Our goal was to continue our journey and create a new, original masterpiece; a very different wine that would reflect our vision of great Bordeaux: Essence de Dourthe. We set about consulting senior managers at Vignobles Dourthe to identify their finest terroirs. No other conditions were set other than attaining optimum purity in the wines, and the truest expression of the terroir. The result has exceeded all our expectations and Essence de Dourthe has joined the pantheon of Fine Wines. These successes would not have been possible without true passion, hard work and an innovative spirit driving us every day to surpass our limits.
Our History
Since its early beginnings, Dourthe has remained true to the values underpinning its rich and unique history: a special bond with the soils, the highest quality standards and an innovative approach.
1840
Pierre Dourthe, who was a hotelier in Lit-et-Mixe (a village located in the South of Bordeaux), opens a winemerchant business in Bordeaux.
He was quite possibly totally unaware that thanks to his direct descendents, the Dourthe name would one day be associated throughout the world with the great wines of Bordeaux.
1929
The fourth generation, Roger and André, buy Château Maucaillou in Moulis and lay the foundations for its future expansion, adopting a totally original, terroir-focused approach.
And unlike the vast majority of Bordeaux Houses established in Quai de Chartrons, Dourthe decides to relocate its activity to the heart of the Medoc vineyards. In so doing, Roger and André Dourthe build a reputation where the relentless quest for quality and a passion for innovation go hand in hand with an air of modesty befitting men born of the soil.
1950
The ambition to
conquer
1967
His connections with other highly regarded winemakers and his active role in the Bordeaux wine trade help to significantly develop Dourthe’s business.
1987
Dourthe launches Dourthe N°1 white
Dourthe launches Dourthe N°1 white, which rapidly gains a reputation for its innovative approach and as a benchmark of quality, in the dry, white Bordeaux segment.
1990
Dourthe purchases Château Pey La Tour,
Bordeaux Supérieur and Château La Garde,
Pessac-Léognan, expanding the production side of
the business through the vineyards.
1993
Dourthe releases Dourthe N°1 red
Dourthe releases Dourthe N°1 red and is responsible for building Bordeaux’s first major barrel hall, located in Parempuyre.
Dourthe takes over the leasehold of de Château Le Boscq
Dourthe launches its premium «Dourthe La Grande Cuvée» brand and takes over the leasehold of Château Le Boscq, Cru Bourgeois of Saint-Estèphe.
The company is the subject
of a management buy out
involving its three directors
2002
Dourthe launches «Essence de Dourthe», the jewel in the crown of the Dourthe Estates, reflecting the quality efforts undertaken on its properties.
Dourthe takes over the leasehold of Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.
2007
Dourthe becomes part of
Thiénot Bordeaux-Champagnes.
2014
Dourthe buys out Château Reysson, for which it had been the management company since 2001.
The history of the Dourthe family begins more than one hundred and seventy five years ago.
1870
His eldest son Jean takes over the business and settles in Bordeaux.
True to their values, the fifth generation, Jean-Paul Jauffret, Pierre and Philippe Dourthe, inject the ambition to conquer new markets and Dourthe gains worldwide renown for its prestigious range of exclusive wines.
Jean-Paul Jauffret
becomes CEO of Dourthe.
1979
Dourthe acquires the
leasehold for Château Belgrave
Dourthe launches Beau Mayne
To further its innovative reputation, Dourthe launches Beau Mayne, a premium, Bordeaux wine, which today has become a particular favourite among restaurateurs. In the same year, Dourthe acquires the leasehold for Château Belgrave Grand Cru Classé Haut-Médoc. Dourthe’s famous values are therefore shared among its multinational shareholders and in turn progressively passed on to a new management team.
Dourthe becomes
the number 1 wine company in Bordeaux
1988
Dourthe purchases Château Pey La Tour and
Château La Garde
1995
Dourthe launches
Dourthe La Grande Cuvée
1998
The company is the subject of a management buy out involving its three directors: Jean-Marie Chadronnier, Patrick Jestin and Xavier Gouvars, who confirm the family-oriented dimension of the company and begin the premiumisation of Dourthe wines.
Dourthe takes over the leasehold
Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac
2005
Dourthe becomes part of Thiénot Bordeaux-Champagnes. This new investment is testament to the major strategic choices undertaken by Dourthe, which form an integral part of a long term vision, which is paramount in the wine sector. Patrick Jestin becomes CEO of Dourthe. The three Bordeaux properties owned by the Thienot family - Chateau Rahoul, Ricaud and Haut Gros Caillou - are now part of Vignobles Dourthe.
OUR WINES
DOURTHE No. 1
Le Grand Bordeaux Par DOURTHE
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N°1 has a distinctive style and a strong personality, largely as a result of the global approach that no other negociant had dared to undertake until this point. Dourthe’s involvement at each step of its creation is truly pioneering.
Created in 1988 from the unison of Dourthe and its most skilled partner winemakers and grape growers, N°1 has rapidly carved its niche as a shining example of great Bordeaux wine.
Selecting only the finest plots, using grapes of irreproachable quality, applying stringent vinification methods in the N°1 white and rosé wines whilst ageing the reds for 12 months in new French oak barrels for the red, all amount to exceptional results, acclaimed by the press and the trade alike.
Sauvignon Blanc
Cabernet Franc
Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot Cabernet Franc
GRANDS TERRIORS
The Bordeaux wine-growing region is remarkable for the exceptional quality and great variety of its terroirs, as illustrated by the different appellations. The Dourthe Grands Terroirs range includes the most representative appellations and offers winelovers the opportunity to discover the different facets of Bordeaux through these authentic wines, each with their own special character. The Grands Terroirs are the result of a particularly strict selection procedure carried out by the Dourthe oenologists. From among hundreds of batches, only the most interesting wines are selected, those with a well-balanced structure and a personality typical of their appellation. The blend then creates a wine of character with its complex fruity notes and its supple tannins.
Château Pey La Tour
AOC Bordeaux Supérieur
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“For connoisseurs and amateurs alike, Bordeaux often calls to mind the world of Grand Cru Classé wines, the true elite of Bordeaux, indeed the world, unrivalled icons in fine wine circles. Yet Bordeaux is also associated with appellations of less prestigious standing, where great wines can still be produced on excellent soils. And this is precisely why we acquired Château Pey La Tour in 1990, fully committed to revealing the full potential of this stunning terroir and craft a magnificent, characterful, complex and elegant wine.” Patrick Jestin.
For Château Pey La Tour, sustainability is at the heart of its approach, and has adopted environmentally sensitive practices that respect Nature, the soils and humankind. Since the vintage 2018, Château Pey La Tour has benefited from Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value(HVE) environmental certifications.
Our Estate
Our Estate
Our Vineyard
Our Estate
AOC Bordeaux
Reserve du Château AOC Bordeaux Supérieur
Château Belgrave
AOC Haut-Médoc - Grand Cru Classé 1855
"Since 1979, with Chateau Belgrave, we have been extremely privileged to manage this large, classic estate, which is amongst the finest in Medoc. This significant responsibility, continued source of investment and tireless, never truly assuaged quest for perfection, brings with it the immense satisfaction of in someway expressing the character of the soils and revealing in our wines the refinement, depth and personality of this outstanding terroir." Patrick Jestin
For Château Belgrave, sustainability is at the heart of its approach, and has adopted environmentally sensitive practices that respect Nature, the soils and humankind. Since the vintage 2018, Château Belgrave has benefited from Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value(HVE) environmental certifications.
Our Vineyard
Our Cellar
Our Estate
Our Vineyard
Grand Cru Classe En AOC Haut-Médoc
2nd Wine of Château Belgrave AOC Haut-Médoc
Château Le Boscq
AOC Saint-Estèphe - Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
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"Since 1995 we have been passionately dedicated to renovating this little gem of a property in Saint-Estephe and restoring it to its former glory. Located on a magnificent terroir, right next to the Gironde estuary and overlooked by a majestic residence, with its rich and ancient history, the Château Le Boscq vineyards today produce highly distinctive wines, which elegantly combine the powerful character of Saint-Estephe with extraordinary finesse." Patrick Jestin
For Château Le Boscq, sustainability is at the heart of its approach, and has adopted environmentally sensitive practices that respect Nature, the soils and humankind. Since the vintage 2018, Château Le Boscq has benefited from Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value(HVE) environmental certifications.
Our Team
Our Estate
Our Estate
Our Team
Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC Saint-Estèphe
2nd Wine of Château Le Boscq AOC Saint-Estèphe
Château La Garde
AOC Pessac-Léognan
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"We bought Château La Garde in June 1990, totally seduced by the exceptional quality of the terroir, which is quite possibly one of the finest gravel outcrops in the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Motivated by this ambitious project, worthy of this magnificent terroir, considerable time and finances have been invested and have been rewarded with the increasingly frequent production of delicate, elegant and appealing fine Pessac-Léognan wines." Patrick Jestin
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For Château La Garde, sustainability is at the heart of its approach, and has adopted environmentally sensitive practices that respect Nature, the soils and humankind. Since the vintage 2018, Château La Garde has benefited from Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value(HVE) environmental certifications.
Our Estate
Our Estate
Our Management Team
Our Estate
Grand Vin de Graves AOC Pessac-Léognan
Château Grand Barrail
Lamarzelle Figeac
AOC Saint-Emilion - Grand Cru
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"Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac is situated on stony clay-flint terraces known locally as “Graves de Saint-Emilion” (Saint-Emilion stones), which stretch from the north-west of the village towards the communes of Libourne and Pomerol. Historically, and ever since, this region has been recognised for the high quality of its extremely delicate and elegant wines. We were extremely proud to take over the management of this jewel in the Saint-Emilion crown in 2005." Patrick Jestin
For Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac, sustainability is at the heart of its approach, and has adopted environmentally sensitive practices that respect Nature, the soils and humankind. Since the vintage 2018, Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac has benefited from Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value (HVE) environmental certifications.
Our Cellar
Our Estate
Our Estate
Our Cellar
Grand Cru AOC Saint-Émillon
