Château Montviel: Vineyards
The vineyards of Château Montviel are dotted around the village of Le Grand Moulinet, to the west of the D1089. close to the edge of the Pomerol appellation. To the west are the Libourne suburbs of Les Charruauds, which sit on the bank of the diminutive Barbanne, which drains into the Isle and which in turn joins the Dordogne just one kilometre further on. To the south, vineyards and more suburban sprawl, while vines dominate to the east and north. Near neighbours to Montviel include, as noted in my introduction, Clos René and Château L’Enclos.
There are now 5 hectares of vineyards here, planted with 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, a fairly traditional ratio. During the Brieux era, however, there was reportedly 10% Malbec in the vineyard, which was said to be 8 hectares in size. The vineyard thus seems to have contracted in size somewhat; I suspect some part of the vineyard has been relinquished somewhere along the way, and although this may have been when the Malbec also disappeared, equally it may have been taken up and replanted with a more desirable variety. Of note, there is also a plot of vines close to Château Feytit-Clinet on the Pomerol plateau, acquired by Catherine Péré-Vergé as part of Château La Violette in 2006, that is regularly declassified into Château Montviel.
