Château Daugay: Vineyards
Château Daugay sits at the foot of the côtes to the west of the town of St Emilion, looking out over the railway line and beyond that the broad and alluvial soils of the valley floor. To the east, on an imposing section of the limestone côtes, it has a number of notable neighbours, including Château Quintus and beyond that Château Fonplégade. To the west, though, the land falls away, clay and limestone here replaced by sandy soils like those found across the valley, and the estates here, such as Château Carteau, Château Patris Querre and Château Pindefleurs, will be immediately less familiar. And, although it should perhaps go without saying, the estate lies not far from Château Angélus, the leading name in the Grenié-Boüard de Laforest portfolio of properties.
At the most recent count there were 9.69 hectares of vines here, a figure that has crept up in recent years, planted on a mix of clay with ferruginous minerals, sand and limestone. The vines are aged more than 40 years on average, planted at a density of 6,600 vines per hectare, and they are of course dominated by Merlot, but only just, at 50% of the vineyard. The balance is 40% Cabernet Franc, this variety as prominent in the vineyard here as it is at Château Angélus just up the road, along with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
