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Chateau Olivier
As is the case with many of the estates in Graves, to the south of Pessac, the origins of Chateau Olivier can be traced much further back than those of the Médoc, to the north. In the case of Olivier records indicate the presence of a building on the spot where the chateau now stands as long ago as the 12th Century, and by the mid-14th Century the property was occupied by the d'Olivey family, as evinced by documents describing the marriage of Rostang d'Olivey to Elizabeth de la Lande, heiress to nearby Chateau de la Brède, in 1350. The property remained with the family for centuries, a long and successful tenure which even survived a sustained challenge from Bordeaux councillors who had taken over the neighbouring seigneurie in 1409. This must surely have been the longest running legal dispute in the late Medieval Ages, as the matter was not concluded until 1680, despite the intervention of at least one monarch. Perhaps unsurprisingly the dispute was settled in favour of the proprietors, although by this time the property had passed down the female line after the last Olivier due to inherit the estate chose to enter the priesthood instead. The Lasserre family thus took on the estate, and by marriage it then passed in 1663 to Pierre Penel, Baron de la Brède, by virtue of his marriage to Marie Lasserre.
With
the ensuing years the estate changed hands numerous times, firstly passing to
the daughter of Marie and Pierre, who married Jacques de Secondat, Baron de
Montesquieu. They sold it to Bernard Joseph de Malet, a local parliamentarian,
and there then followed a litany of landlords; Lestard, who did much to improve
the chateau, making it less of a fortified castle and more of an elegant country
house, then Legris, Souberrie-Dugarry, Sergent-Bardwich and Fousset, none of
whom did so much as plant a vine, before finally passing to Count Charles-Joseph
Maurice d'Etchegoyen in 1846. The new tenants refurbished the chateau yet again,
carrying out extensive modifications, and added viticulture to the activities of
the estate, which also included forestry and husbandry. The end result of the
extensive renovations of Lestard and then D'Etchegoyen (what stands today is
largely of the 18th and 19th Centuries) may not be to everyone's taste,
nevertheless the chateau remains an impressive and perhaps attractive building, hidden
in a clearing in the woods, and surrounded by a moat. After D'Etchegoyen,
Olivier was sold to the Bousset-Salvat family, although they in turn yielded to Alexandre
Watcher. Then by virtue of the marriage of Agnew Watcher to Jacques de Bethmann
in the early 20th Century, the German De Bethmann family took control, and this
is a responsibility they still hold today. The most recent incumbent is
Jean-Jacques de Bethmann.
The Olivier estate amounts to 220 hectares the majority of which is forest,
pasture and grazing land, with the vineyards amounting to 50 hectares in all.
Under De Bethmann the vines were leased to the Eschenhauer firm, although this
arrangement ceased in 1981, Eschenhauer eventually losing their exclusive
distribution rights in 1987. Today the estate is managed by Laurent Lebrun, who
holds sway over all the vines, which are planted on a complex composition of
terroirs, including Gunzian gravel, clay and limestone, with areas of
quartz, flint and other minerals. Chateau Olivier is just one of six chateau
entitled to produce both red and white wines under the
Graves classification of 1959, although under Eschenhauer the focus was most
certainly on the white wines. Since then, however, plantings of red varieties
have increased, and although relatively young in comparison to the established
white vines they now constitute the greater part of the vineyard. There are now
38 hectares of red varieties, 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10%
Cabernet Franc, with an average vine age of 25 years. What is more, with the clearing
of trees and the establishment of new vineyards, on ancient plots identified
from 18th Century maps, the area planted to red varieties is set to rise
considerably. The white varieties cover 12 hectares of the estate, 55% Semillon,
40% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle, and have an average age of 40 years. The
planting density is relatively high at between 8000 and 10000 vines/ha.
Practices in the vineyard and winery are modern, with the vinification of the
red overseen by Guy Guimberteau, a student of the illustrious Emile Peynaud, and
in charge of the white is Denis Dubourdieu. The fruit is sorted both at harvest, which is
manual, and in the winery, before temperature-controlled fermentation, typically
20ºC for the white and between 25ºC and 30ºC for the red. Both are vinified in
steel, with cold maceration before fermentation, and with some optional use of
the press wine for the red wine. Both wines then see a year in oak barrels, of
which one third are new each vintage. The resulting grand vin is
Chateau Olivier, with perhaps the white rather more sought after than the
red. The former has a production of about 6000 cases per year, the latter rather
more, perhaps 18000 cases. There is also a second wine produced from aliquots
not deemed suitable for the grand vin, La Seigneurie d'Olivier du
Chateau Olivier.
It is interesting to look back and review the progress that has been made over the last few decades at Olivier, especially when the wines are placed against their peers from nearby properties in Pessac-Léognan. Clive Coates once wrote of the estate's grand potential, espousing that the "depth of the 1990 and the finesse of the 1992" promised great things for the future, and that with further improvements in the chai "one can but shudder with excitement" at the prospect. With the benefit of hindsight it does not seem to me that Olivier has ever fulfilled this early promise. Some vintages, white and red, are very good, whereas others are merely good, competent wines, true to the appellation and quite elegant, and therefore admirable, but not challenging the great estates of the region. Olivier, to my mind still ranks behind Chevalier, Haut-Bailly, Pape-Clément and perhaps even some others. Perhaps more worrying, Jean-Christophe Mau and Stephan Derenoncourt at the adjacent Chateau Brown (you could kick a ball over the hedge from one vineyard to the next) have recently been on fire turning out incisive, vibrant wines of very high quality. Good wines here, I would agree, but there is still work to do at Olivier, it seems. (15/4/04, updated 23/8/07)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Olivier, 33850 Léognan
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 64 73 31
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 64 54 23
Internet:
www.chateau-olivier.com
Chateau Olivier - Tasting Notes
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Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: This has a rather lemony, powdery, honey-tinged, herby-chalky
kind of nose. The palate seems quite direct on entry, with a cool, straight,
lemony style, with a little flesh coming behind it in the midpalate in order to
pad it out. Underneath is a rather soft acid structure, and here it becomes
apparent that the wine is perhaps rather blowsy, and lacking definition. There
are better examples of the vintage, to be sure. From my tasting of
2005 Bordeaux at
two years of age. 15+/20 (October 2007)
Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2004:
A rather muted nose, rather oaky, and this character carries through onto the
palate which shows nothing more than a little subtle peach fruit. Lean, and
perhaps a little tinny and stretched out. It may fatten up with time though, and
has an appealing pithiness. From my
2004 Bordeaux
assessment. 14.5-15.5+/20 (October 2006)
Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: 50% SB, 50% Sem. Open,
still showing rather a lot of oak, beneath that some decent fruit, quite fresh
in style. Full, quite attractive fruit palate, but naturally very soft and
rounded. Lacks presence, and acidity. Quite a lot of grip though, despite this.
Not bad I suppose. 13/20 (February 2007)
Chateau Olivier (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: Lots of fruit here, presented
in rather a minerally frame. Supple, a bit creamy, with more tannins in the
background. Fresh, quite firm, not a huge, iron-clad grip like some wines. A lot
of structure. There is quite a short finish too. Good though. 16+/20 (February 2007)
Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) 2002: This wine has a
beautifully expressive nose, full of gooseberry and greengage perfume, but with
notes of tropical fruit as well. Quite exotic. On the palate it has a rounded
texture with a good savoury presence, although it is less impressive than the
nose. Will benefit from six to eight years in the cellar. 16+/20
(November 2003)
Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2001: A lovely nose, fresh and
creamy. Crisp yet fleshy and rounded. A nice style, certainly showing better
definition than the 2003, thanks to a much more attractive acidity. Fresh, nice
direction. Very appealing. 17+/20 (February 2007)
Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) 2001: A restrained character on
the nose, with some notes of white fruits. The palate gives little in the way of
interest, although it displays a pleasing fleshy texture and good balance. Needs
five to six years in the cellar. 17+/20
(November 2003)
Chateau Olivier (Pessac-Léognan) 2001: Dense fruit, still rather
youthful, quite subdued in fact. Full, creamy but quite precise. Attractive,
rounded, perhaps not the concentration that I initially expected after the nose,
but there is a good structure and tannic backbone. It has some style,
backed up by a grippy core, but perhaps rather coarsely married acidity. 16+/20
(February 2007)
Chateau Olivier (Pessac-Leognan) 2001: Another impressive nose, but
here still showing the sweet, burnt, toasty aromas of oak. Good texture and
moderate weight on the palate, with good fruit and plenty of firm ripe tannin
yet to integrate. Good acidity. This is nicely set up for the future. Needs four
to six years in the cellar. 16+/20 (November 2003)
Chateau Olivier Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) 1998: Good character on the
nose here, which is full and expressive, with notes of minerals, lime and a
honeyed edge. The palate shows some maturity, with a fleshy texture and plenty
of character. Will still benefit from more cellar time though. 16+/20
(November 2003)
Chateau Olivier (Pessac-Léognan) 1998: An appealing nose of tobacco and gravel, this is really
nice. An elegant body through the midpalate, broad, really quite attractive,
well balanced, and nicely integrated. This has typicité in abundance, and
it is approachable now, although still has plenty of potential. 17/20 (February 2007)
Chateau Olivier (Pessac-Leognan) 1998: A lovely nose, more gravel and
perfume here, with raspberry and blackberry fruit. Medium weight on the palate,
but elegant and balanced. The fruit has a slightly sweet edge. There are soft,
integrating tannins and correct acidity. A lovely wine approaching it's drinking
window soon. 17/20
(November 2003)
Chateau Olivier (Pessac-Leognan) 1996: A nose full of dense fruit, but
still very classic in style. There is gravel, with a touch of perfume here. The
palate is full, with dense, sweet fruit. Elegant with great typicity, gravelly,
but with pure Cabernet-derived black fruits as well. Lovely balance. Needs three
to four years in the cellar. 17+/20
(November 2003)
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