Chateau Biac

Here is the wonderful Chateau Biac, where we are staying at the moment. This is the view from halfway down the driveway. We are staying in a section of one of those buildings.

The view from one of our bedroom windows.

The view from the other.

Youmna and Tony purchased this property four years ago, and since then have been working (and investing time and money) to repair all of the buildings, replant and maintain the vineyard, and turn the property into a producer of fine Bordeaux wines.

They have, I believe she said, 8 hectares under vine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and {Semillon for the sweet botrytis wine they make}).

She took us down to see the winery, and to witness what they have done there in such a short time is amazing. They had to replace the roof, chip away the cement from the original stone, install toilets, showers, kitchen and changing rooms for the workers, install air conditioning, plumbing, drainage, a water treatment facility, as well as the computerized center that controls the temperature in each of their stainless steel vats. Not to mention purchasing all of the vats, barrels and bottles!

They are hoping, when the vines mature enough and they are up and running at capacity, to produce around 40,000 bottles a year.

Stainless steel vats.

Youmna giving us a barrel tasting of 2009 Merlot.