List of products by brand CHÂTEAU DE RESPIDE

Set in Roaillan at the heart of the Graves, Château de Respide extends across 80 hectares of sandy-gravelly, clay, and limestone soils, producing red and white Bordeaux of real character. Founded in 1630, the château passed through several hands before Amélie and Pierre-Edouard Chatin took the reins in 2021, bringing fresh energy to a vineyard now farmed to HVE certification. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, nephew of a former owner, was a regular guest here — a detail that speaks to the singular history of this place. At Halles Quercamps, we have selected this château for the rigour of its viticulture, the breadth of its encépagement, and the consistent balance it strikes between structure and freshness. A true Bordeaux of terroir, rooted in history and carried forward by a new generation.

At the heart of the Graves, in the commune of Roaillan in the Gironde, Château de Respide represents four centuries of Bordeaux viticulture across 80 hectares of HVE-certified vines, guided since 2021 by Amélie and Pierre-Edouard Chatin.

A château with deep roots in the Graves

Founded in 1630, Château de Respide ranks among the oldest wine-producing properties in the Bordeaux appellation. Established on the commune of Roaillan in the southern Gironde, the estate has witnessed the full sweep of Bordeaux history — from the golden age of the négociant trade to the upheavals of the twentieth century. In 1952, Pierre Bonnet acquired the property and set about consolidating its reputation, laying the foundations for the 80-hectare vineyard that exists today. That continuity of purpose, sustained across generations, is part of what makes this château so compelling.

One of the more evocative footnotes in the château's history is its connection to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the celebrated Post-Impressionist painter, who was the nephew of a former owner and a frequent visitor to Respide. It is the kind of detail that reminds us how deeply the great Bordeaux estates were woven into the cultural fabric of their era.

Terroir: gravel, clay, and limestone

The 80 hectares of vines at Château de Respide sit on a mosaic of soils characteristic of the Graves appellation: sandy-gravelly graves, clay, limestone, silt, and sand, varying parcel by parcel. This diversity of subsoils is one of the estate's quiet strengths, allowing the team to match grape variety to soil type with precision. The graves soils — the defining feature of the appellation — provide excellent drainage and gentle heat retention, contributing to the ripeness and structure that mark the château's red wines. The clay and limestone parcels lend freshness and aromatic lift to the white blends.

HVE certification and the Chatin era

When Amélie and Pierre-Edouard Chatin took over in 2021, they inherited a well-established property and chose to build on it rather than reinvent it. Their most visible commitment to date is the achievement of Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) certification — a rigorous French standard covering biodiversity, plant protection, fertilisation, and water management. For a Bordeaux château of this scale, HVE represents a meaningful step towards more sustainable viticulture, and it signals the direction in which the Chatins intend to take Respide in the years ahead.

The wines of Château de Respide

The château produces both red and white wines under the Bordeaux appellation, drawing on a broad palette of grape varieties:

Reds: blended principally from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec — wines of structure and depth, with the freshness characteristic of Graves terroir.
Whites: crafted from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon — aromatic, precise, and well-suited to the gravelly soils of Roaillan.

The diversity of the encépagement allows the estate to express the full range of what the Graves can offer, from the firm tannins of a Cabernet-dominant red to the textured, food-friendly whites that have long been a hallmark of the appellation.

Why we have selected Château de Respide

At Halles Quercamps, we have listed Château de Respide for three reasons that matter to us as merchants. First, the rigour of the viticulture: HVE certification on 80 hectares is not a cosmetic gesture, and it reflects a genuine commitment to the land. Second, the breadth and coherence of the range: both the reds and whites are made with a clear sense of identity, balancing the weight and structure of Bordeaux with the freshness that Graves terroir delivers at its best. Third, the depth of history behind the label — a founding date of 1630 is not mere decoration; it speaks to a continuity of place and purpose that we find compelling.

This is a château we would recommend to confirmed Bordeaux enthusiasts looking for an estate with genuine terroir credentials, as well as to those exploring the Graves appellation beyond its most celebrated names. The reds pair beautifully with lamb, duck, and aged cheeses; the whites are a natural match for fish, shellfish, and poultry in cream sauces.