Château Le Thil Comte Clary
The leaf-strewn back roads that twist and turn their way through the broad expanse of the Pessac-Léognan appellation hide many gems. Peer through the trees, or take a peek over occasional high stone wall, and there is every possibility you will spot some secluded and under-appreciated château and its vines. Château Le Thil, or to give it its Sunday name, Château Le Thil Comte Clary, is one such understated property. Hidden from view by surrounding woodland the château, an elegantly unfussy two-storey chartreuse, today operates as a high-class hotel, where guests can take a break away from prying eyes. The vineyards un up the slope behind it, the wine made in distant outbuildings. It is an estate of some size, and yet you could drive past it and, other than the cast-iron gates that provide some clue as to its existence, you would never know it was there.
It is the norm to describe Château Le Thil Comte Clary as a modern creation, partly true as the first modern reincarnation of the vineyard was only planted in 1990. It is not entirely true though, as indeed should be obvious from the date of construction of the château (pictured), which was 1737. Before we come to the estate’s rebirth first with Jean de Laître and then with the Cathiards of nearby Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, however, I first present a little (indeed, a very little) history.
