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.”