Château Marquis d’Alesme: Vineyards
Château Marquis d’Alesme is located in the heart of Margaux, very close to Château Malescot-St-Exupéry and Château Ferrière. Of course there are many other classed growth châteaux located in and around the village, most notably Château Durfort-Vivens and Château Marojallia, located on the same road, as well as Château Lascombes and Château Marquis de Terme to the west, and Château Margaux to the east. It undoubtedly enjoys an excellent position within the appellation. Having said that, very few of the vineyards are located here, next to the cellars. There are perhaps three parcels in their possession here; most of the Labégorce and Marquis ‘d’Alesme vineyards are gathered around Château Labégorce itself, or around the D2 as it passes close by, or in Soussans.
There are approximately 15 hectares of vines all told, the soils a fairly typical blend of Médocian gravel, the gravel joined by siliceous materials and limestone in parts. The density of planting is 10,000 vines per hectare, and the vineyards have an average age of around 40 years.
The varieties planted have changed considerably over time; once Cabernet Sauvignon was in the minority, accounting for as little as 30% of the plantings, but today it dominates, with 63% of the vineyard dedicated to this variety.
