Château Doisy Daëne 2ème Grand Cru Classé 2018

Classified as a Second Growth in 1855, Château Doisy Daëne has been in the Dubourdieu family since 1924. The château was long embodied by Denis Dubourdieu, pupil of Emile Peynaud, who modernized all practices of vinification in Bordeaux. The estate is now in the hands of his sons, Fabrice and Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu, the fourth generation of the family at Doisy-Daëne. The vineyard, with an average vine age of around fifty years, now comprises 15 hectares of Semillon for sweet wines and 10 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc for dry wines. It is situated in the upper Barsac terroir, characterised by clay-limestone soils. he peculiarity of this soil contributes to the production of wines that feature incredible finesse.
In order to harvest grapes affected by noble rot, the grape harvest is carried out by hand through successive selection of bunches, when Botrytis cinerea offers the best balance of richness, aromatic finesse and freshness. Fermentation takes place in barrels, with each selection of bunches and each parcel vinified separately. An initial blend is made three months after the harvest, after which the wine is matured in barrels for an average of 12 months.
The château also produces two dry white wines: the Grand Vin Sec de Doisy-Daëne, made from Sauvignon Blanc, and, since 2023, a dry white from old-vine Semillon. In outstanding vintages, it also crafts L’Extravagant, a rare wine of exceptional richness. The château has brought the neighbouring estate, Doisy-Dubroca, thereby reuniting part of the original, larger Doisy estate.

The wines from this estate boast unrivalled richness. Generally equipped with fantastic ageing potential, they are a joy to consume from their earliest stages. Characterised by elegance and purety, they are flavourful, refined, supple and fruity, developing notes of honey and rose. They have depth and persistence on the palate, with finesse taking over from power and vivacity gently subduing a heady character.
For this distinguished Grand Cru Classé, the estate’s team carefully selects Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon berries from vines around fifty years old. Rooted in clay and limestone soils, these grape varieties achieve their finest expression here. Harvest follows the age‑old Sauternes tradition of successive passes in the vineyard, picking only grapes touched by Botrytis cinerea, the noble rot essential to the style.
In the winery, fermentation takes place in barrels, with each pass and each parcel vinified separately. Around three months after harvest, a preliminary blend is assembled. The wine is then aged in barrels for around a year.