Clos Dubreuil: Vineyards
Clos Dubreuil is located in St-Christophe-des-Bardes, which is to the east of the town of St Emilion. Near neighbours include Château Laroque, to the south, and Château Lapelletrie, to the southwest. To the north lies Château Fombrauge. In terms of style I would say the wine resembles the latter more than the former, but certainly not to the same extreme, and I would say this probably reflects the approach to winemaking rather than anything to do with terroir.
Today the vineyard covers 8.55 hectares on clay and limestone soils typical of this part of St Emilion; these vines are divided into seven distinct parcels, with varying aspects, some south-facing, some on the plateau and some north-facing. Of the total vineyard 7.3 hectares are dedicated to the red varieties, being planted with 70% Merlot (a figure which has declined slightly in recent years), 25% Cabernet Franc (with a corresponding increase here, and more to come – the target is 30%) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are aged between 70 and 80 years on average. The remaining 1.25 hectares is for the estate’s white wine, and is planted exclusively to Chardonnay.
