Clos Floridène

Clos Floridène was born in 1982 when Denis and Florence Dubourdieu decided to create something special in the Graves. The name itself is a blend of their first names, a romantic touch that hints at the passion project this estate would become. They started with just two hectares of old Semillon and Muscadelle vines, plus a winemaker's house and an old cellar. Denis immediately planted Cabernet Sauvignon on two hectares of fallow land. Bit by bit, they acquired neighboring plots. In 1991, the estate grew significantly when they incorporated Château Montalivet, a 13-hectare vineyard next door. It took 36 years to build Clos Floridène into an independent winery with its own cellar, completed in 2018.

The estate sits mostly on the limestone plateau of Pujols sur Ciron, right near Barsac, with some parcels on the pebbly terraces of Illats. Today it covers 40 hectares in the Graves appellation. The soils here are special, clay and limestone for the white grapes, with some gravel mixed in for the reds. That limestone bedrock is porous, storing water through summer and releasing it gradually to prevent the vines from stressing too much. It's the same geological makeup as Barsac, with red clayey sands rich in iron oxide sitting on top of limestone packed with fossilized shellfish. This terroir gives the wines their signature mineral edge and vibrant freshness.

Denis Dubourdieu was known as the professor of Bordeaux, a title he earned through decades teaching at the University of Bordeaux and consulting for over 70 properties worldwide. But he was never just an academic. He believed in making wine from the best part of the grape, not every part. His approach combined rigorous research with hands-on winemaking. He favored freshness and purity, especially in whites, using oak carefully and only when it added complexity. When Denis passed away in 2016, his sons Jean-Jacques and Fabrice took over. Jean-Jacques now manages the domaines with the same thoughtful approach his father championed. The family practices reasoned agriculture, plowing traditionally without herbicides, using organic fertilizers based on vegetable compost. They hold high environmental value certification at the highest level.

Clos Floridène produces dry white and red wines under the Graves appellation. The white is the insider's choice for Bordeaux blanc, a blend typically around 50-55% Semillon and 45-50% Sauvignon Blanc. It's aged on the lees in barrels and large wood vats for about nine months, with around 25% new oak. The wine shows citrus, white peach, grapefruit, with mineral and saline notes that reveal those limestone soils. Since 2004, they also make a rosé with bright aromatic character. The red has evolved over the years. Originally 80% Cabernet Sauvignon on limestone, a unique combination in Bordeaux, the blend now includes about 35% Merlot after the estate expanded. It's aged 12 months in oak barrels with a third new wood. The second wines, both white and red, are sold under the label Drapeaux de Floridène, made from younger vines.