Château Hannetot
Throughout the appellation of Pessac-Léognan vineyards and suburban housing (and the occasional airport) jostle for position on the increasingly crowded soils of gravel and clay. Nowhere (other than Pessac, which lies well within the city of Bordeaux itself) is the battle more active than in Léognan, a confused and interdigitating mix of residential streets and vineyards. Such are the rewards to property developers that it sometimes feels as though the vines are destined to lose, but it is not so; even today, vineyards can be established, or at the very least revitalised, brought back to life, saving yet another plot from the grip of the town planners and the builders.
The little-known Château Hannetot is a case in point. This micro-estate is located in a narrow strip of vine-speckled land that runs from the green suburbs of Léognan itself to the south-west, through to the somewhat busier and more bustling Villenave d’Ornon to the north-east. The vineyards open out on one side, where Château Olivier and Château Brown are to be found. On the other, beyond the waters of L’Eau Blanche, a minor tributary of the Garonne, there is a sweeping crest of gravel on which Château Haut-Bailly, Château Larrivet Haut-Brion and Château Carbonnieux are to be found. Château Hannetot keeps good company, it seems. In fact, one can only wonder, in view of its seemingly advantageous position, why the estate is not better known. The answer to this question lies in the history of the domaine, which has only recently been reborn.
