Château Liversan: Vineyards
As noted in my introduction to this profile, the vineyards of Château Liversan are located between Saint-Saveur, which sits to the west, while to the east is the settlement of Artigues and behind that the expanse of vineyards which constitutes the Pauillac appellation, starting with Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Very little separates the Haut-Médoc and Pauillac appellations here, little more than a patches of woodland, or as I discovered when I visited the property a few minutes by car along autumnal leaf-strewn roads.
The vineyard is extensive, with 51 hectares in total, and it is planted to 55% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This is a planting scheme which seems well suited to its soils, which are dominated by Médocian clay. The soils are relatively homogenous across the vineyard, with the top 30 centimetres comprising sand, silt and gravel, while the subsoil is gravel and that aforementioned clay, mixed with quartz and limestone.
The vines are planted at a density of 7,000 vines per hectare, although under the direction of Antoine Moueix Propriétés there has been a program of replanting underway, one which is gradually moving the vineyard to a tighter density of 9,000 vines per hectare. This seems to be still ongoing after the Changyu Group arrived on the scene. The vineyard is 30-years old on average.
