Château Cadet-Bon: Vineyards
As I have already indicated in the introduction to my profile, Château Cadet-Bon is located on the crest of the Côte de Cadet, to the north of the town of Saint-Emilion. It is situated on the opposite side of the road to Château Moulin du Cadet, which is just to the west. Further to the west sit Château Fonroque and Château Laniote. To the north, further down the slope, is Château Larmande, while to the east is Château Soutard. The proximity of the latter is perhaps little surprising, as I always think of it as being situated next to the D243, to the east of St Emilion, but in truth this road runs north-east rather than true east and the estate’s position, set well back from the road, brings it closer to Château Cadet-Bon.
Unsurprisingly the soils here are a mix of superficial clay and limestone, with a deep limestone bedrock, specifically Calcaire à Astéries. Of the 7 hectares now incorporated into the vineyard, 6 hectares are on the slope facing the town of Saint-Emilion, running down from the Cadet crest. This gives these vineyards a favourable south-facing aspect (as pictured above), and improved drainage. The vines are 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, a significant change since the 1980s, all planted at a density of 6,666 vines per hectare. The average age of the vines is 40 years.
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