This beautiful estate is located south of the town of Saint-Emilion. Château Monbousquet's history goes back to the 16th century. The property expanded in the 19th century, attaining its current size of 30 hectares thanks to a series of plots purchased by Count Vassel-Montviel. The vines grow in gravelly soil in the southern part of the estate and clay-sand soil in the northern part. Good sun exposure accounts for perfect ripening, even in the later-maturing Cabernet grapes, which accounts for the relatively high proportion of Cabernet in the final blend.

Gérard Perse, owner of Châteaux Pavie, Pavie Decesse, and Bellevue-Mondotte (among others…), acquired Monbousquet in 1993. He has invested in the estate ever since in order to produce the best possible wine. This includes totally redesigning the vat room and cellars, replanting the vineyard plot by plot, introducing very low yields worthy of the finest great growths, achieving optimum ripeness in the grapes, etc.

All of these factors result in very aromatic, concentrated, and rich wines with silky tannin.

The estate also produces a very unusual wine: a miniscule amount of dry white Monbousquet from 1 hectare of vines.

In the Bottle

Thanks to advice from the famous enologist, Michel Rolland, Monbousquet takes full advantage of its great south-facing sun exposure, and is barrel-aged with the greatest of care. Monbousquet currently produces more powerful wines than before its purchase by Gérard Perse in 1993.

The best vintages of the previous owners were 1989 and 1990 Monbousquet. 1995 and 1998 Monbousquet epitomize the progress made under the Perse management.

In fact, Château Monbousquet has been very reliable in recent vintages thanks to an uncompromising emphasis on quality including low yields and aging in 100% new oak. While Monbousquet's terroir does not enable it to reach the highest level of finesse, it is sure to please people who enjoy attractive, sensual, and rich wines.

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Monbousquet, Monbousquet blanc (dry white), Angélique de Monbousquet (second wine)