Françoise and Stéphane Dief make high octane Médoc, working at the same caliber as those who tend the classified crus.

Their approach recalls the remarkable efforts undertaken in the 1970s by Jean Gautreau to elevate his Château Sociando-Mallet in Haut-Medoc to the ranks of the greats. The Dief built their domain over time, gradually acquiring parcels of vines in the region of Saint Christoly, particularly those located on gravel and those capable of high density plantings. The vines are meticulously maintained in order to produce low yields. The harvest is manual and the grapes are sorted and destemmed by hand. The recent overhaul of their chai showcases the Diefs’ insistence for functionality and hygiene, not to mention their talent for unostentatious design. Clos Manou is a selection of the best juice from one third of the property, and its élevage is done in new barrels. Petit Manou is not intended to be a second wine. Although aged in older barriques, it receives the same meticulous care as the Clos Manou. Many connoisseurs consider these two wines to be amongst the best values in Bordeaux. Cabernet sauvignon makes up roughly half of the vineyard’s 13 hectares, 40% is merlot, with petit verdot and cabernet franc making up the last 10%.

Pierre Taix is known for making radical life changes. He left a successful career in the world of finance to take over managing the family domain in Puisseguin-Saint Émilion.

Taix is a remarkably genuine person and we appreciate his insightful statements on wine making and the way he does business, always open and sincere. The vineyard is biodynamic, a path Taix has taken because he believes it makes better wine and out of consideration for the environment. Two wines are released from this single vineyard. Made from vines with an average age of 35 years, Château Rigaud is the domain’s easy-drinking wine, made for immediate consumption. It’s both tasty and an exceptional value. The grapes from their older vines are used to make Château La Maurianne, which is aged in 500-liter Austrian fûts, which barely flavour the wines while still offering the desired effects of wood-aged élevages. In expert tastings, this wine rivals more prestigious crus of Saint Émilion. Maurianne is a Right Bank outsider, in the best possible sense.

The energetic couple of Julie Médeville and Xavier Gonet run a host of well known and respected domaines: Château Respide-Médeville in Graves, the legendary Château Gilette and Château Les Justices in Sauternes, Domaine des Justices in Bordeaux, and Maison Gonet-Médeville in Champagne.

In 2004, Julie Médeville took over from her father Christian Médeville. The union between Julie and Xavier allowed him a foothold in Bordeaux while she now has access to Champagne’s vineyards. Xavier inherited some fantastic vineyards that they now operate as Gonet-Médeville. In 2009, they acquired Château des Eyrins, in Margaux.

The two have set a high standard for all their properties. It was Christian’s father, Réné, who started the Gilette tradition of very long élevages in concrete vats. But the spirit of their wines is contemporary, incorporating modern oenological and technological know-how. The red Graves is made in concert with oenologist Olivier Degas with the intention of expressing that Graves’ character: textured, elegant and very drinkable.

Château Paveil de Luze has belonged to the de Luze family since 1862.

Frédéric de Luze, current president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, has managed the property since 1994. Located in the northern sector of the appellation, the vineyard is situated on optimal graves soils and substrates. Cabernet sauvignon accounts for 65% of the blend, with merlot taking up a 30% share with the balance being cabernet franc. Paveil de Luze is not one of those deep, brooding Margaux that require decades of careful aging. Its finest quality is always its remarkable Margaux typicity, exhibiting the fine tannins and aromas that make the appellation so coveted. The wine is sincere, unpretentious, remarkably balanced and suitable for consumption in its youth. Stéphane Derenoncourt has been advising the property since 2011. Château Paveil de Luze is has received excellent reviews in the Guide des Vins de France, and by Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve.

Joel Duffau is the winemaking artisan of Château La Mothe du Barry, which he built himself, and of Château Les Arromans, which he took over following the retirement of his father about a decade ago.

The former is a Bordeaux Supérieur, and the latter is in the appellations of Bordeaux and Entre-Deux-Mers. Both vineyards have been organically farmed since 2009. We’ve had both a business as well as a personal relationship with our good friend Joel Duffau since our inception in 1996. Thousands of cases both labels, always of remarkable quality, have been sold in Quebec. La Mothe du Barry’s Bordeaux Supérieur has been a continually available product in the SAQ network since 2009. Its rise to fame was as meteoric as the quality-to-price ratio is unparalleled.

The wines of Château Les Arromans are equally radiant with fruit and they show a similar consistency from vintage to vintage. And like La Mothe du Barry, the value is exceptional. As a winemaker, Joel is constantly evolving, reflecting and adapting in the aim of increasing even more the quality of his output. In the pantheon reserved for the most elite producers we work with, Joel Duffau’s unconditional commitment to quality would put him in first place.

Joel Duffau is the winemaking artisan of Château La Mothe du Barry, which he built himself, and of Château Les Arromans, which he took over following the retirement of his father about a decade ago.

The former is a Bordeaux Supérieur, and the latter is in the appellations of Bordeaux and Entre-Deux-Mers. Both vineyards have been organically farmed since 2009. We’ve had both a business as well as a personal relationship with our good friend Joel Duffau since our inception in 1996. Thousands of cases of both labels, always of remarkable quality, have been sold in Quebec. La Mothe du Barry’s Bordeaux Supérieur has been a continually available product in the SAQ network since 2009. Its rise to fame was as meteoric as the quality-to-price ratio is unparalleled.

The wines of Château Les Arromans are equally radiant with fruit and they show a similar consistency from vintage to vintage. And like La Mothe du Barry, the value is exceptional. As a winemaker, Joel is constantly evolving, reflecting and adapting with the aim of increasing even more the quality of his output. In the pantheon reserved for the most elite producers we work with, Joel Duffau’s unconditional commitment to quality would put him in first place.

Château Haut-Segottes has been a part of Le Maître de Chai’s portfolio since we started.

The first vintage we imported was the 1994. Owned by Andrée Meunier, Haut-Segottes vineyard’s unite two different soil types. The vineyard adjacent to the winery, in the Grâce-Dieu sector, is on sandy soil resting on a chalky substrate of limestone “asteries.” The other plot is located near Pomerol, on highly sought-after gravelly quartz. The result is a classic, distinctive Saint-Emilion made with 60% merlot and a high percentage of cabernet franc. The wines are always balanced, with characteristic finesse and a classic merlot suaveness. Château Haut-Segottes is always a safe bet – and an exceptional bargain.

The relationship between Olivier Decelle and Le Maitre de Chai is a testament to the quality of his wines.

Our portfolio includes a few of his properties: Château Jean Faure in Saint Emilion, Decelle-Villa in Burgundy, and Château Haut-Maurac. Decelle acquired these properties and others (including Mas Amiel) when moving from the frozen food business to the wine world. All of his wineries have a single objective: excellence. In keeping with this lofty goal, Decelle sought properties with top quality soils which would translate to wines that express their great terroir. Château Haut-Maurac is no different. Situated in a vast appellation whose soils are of varying compositions, Haut-Maurac occupies a privileged spot on the gravelly ridges of St-Yzans-de-Médoc. Himself a wine-lover, Decelles makes wines that please him. Haut-Maurac, regardless of vintage, offers up typical Médocain aromatics, a muscular but balanced palate, with tannins that are surprisingly refined for a wine from the peninsula. Medoc wine-lovers—as well as those who’ve avoided the appellation—owe it to themselves to try Haut-Maurac.

Of all the famous communes in the Haut-Médoc, Margaux is both the largest and most varied.

The best terroirs—the vineyards of the appellation’s grandest châteaux—are nestled nearby one another, and it’s within this nucleus of superior vineyards that Château Eyrins can be found. Their two and a half hectares of vines are adjacent to plots owned by Château Margaux and Lascombes. Since the 2009 vintage, the property has belonged to the dynamic couple of Julie Médeville and Xavier Gonet, owners and managers of Château Gilette in Sauternes, Château Respide-Médeville in Graves, and Maison Gonet-Médeville in Champagne. The vines are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. The 2012 edition of the Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France put it unequivocally: “A veritable revelation in recent vintages, this two and a half hectare vineyard is capable of producing refined and elegant wines at the level of many classified growths. Bargain hunters take note. Both their 2009 and their 2010 are remarkable, yielding wines of great refinement. Score of 17/20 for the 2009.”