Château La Serre: Vineyards
The property lies directly to the east of the town of St Emilion, on the road which leads down from the limestone scarp to the little valley below. It sits just a few hundred metres from the remparts of the town. The vineyards sit between those of Château Villemaurine to the west, and Château Trotte Vieille to the east, and the property looks out onto the Vallée de Fongaban to the south. Château La Clotte lies very close, the La Clotte vines sitting just a short distance down the slope from Château La Serre. The position affords a very good view of Château Pavie-Macquin, which sits atop the limestone plateau on the opposite side of the valley.
When Bernard Ginestet visited in 1988 he discovered a vineyard of 7 hectares, and that remains the case today. Indeed, the vineyard seems to have been held at this size for many years. The vines planted in 1988 were 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and again this also remains the same today. The average age of the vineyard is about 35 years, and the rocks and soils underfoot are the classic limestone known as calcaire à astéries, with a thin layer of clay.
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