Château Kirwan: Vineyards

The vineyards of Château Kirwan lie on the Cantenac plateau, very closely approximated to the village of Cantenac. Unlike the many domaines nestled within this village, however, you are unlikely to chance upon Château Kirwan as you drive through the village. While Château Prieuré-Lichine and Château Desmirail sit overlooking the road, Château Kirwan sits on the southwestern periphery separated from the village, and indeed hidden from view, by an elevated railway line. It is only if you go exploring behind Château Desmirail, passing beneath the little bridge that supports the chemin de fer, that you will find the estate.

There are today 40 hectares of vines planted here, divided into 46 distinct parcels. The soils are said to be dominated by the typical Quaternary gravel of the region, although having explored the vineyards I note that the great majority of vines I observed sent their roots down into sand, silty soils. Of course, there will be deeper beds of gravel, although it is my understanding that perhaps 90% of a vine’s root system pervades only the most superficial soils. Only a handful of roots go very deep.

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