Château Sérilhan: Vineyards
When Didier Marcelis took control of the estate there were just 9.5 hectares of vines; subsequently this grew to a peak of 24 hectares, although today it is much close to 20 hectares. Much of this very significant expansion was achieved early on with the purchase of land from the local co-operative. They were selling off the vineyards because of the retirement of several of their more aged members; rising land prices made for a lucrative sale, but the prices were not so extortionate as to be unaffordable (they are much higher now). A number of châteaux took advantage of this fire-sale, and increased their holdings considerably. Didier was one of these lucky beneficiaries, and from relatively small beginnings the estate has grown to an admirable size.
Didier has not only extended the vineyard, he has also developed it and changed much of the working practices. Early on he adjusted the trellising height of the vines, low training being a common problem in older vineyards. And the dependence on chemicals was reduced, as in 2004 he began working the soil in preference.
Early on during his tenure an estate-wide soil analysis was carried out, in order to better understand the potential of the different plots. This revealed that on the whole the soils were the typical gravel of the St Estèphe appellation, but that some areas differed in their constitution. As a result of this work the fruit from the more gravelly soils tends to be channelled towards the grand vin, whereas the fruit from the vineyards where there is a greater dominance of clay and limestone, or a more sandy gravel, is more likely to find its way into the second wine.
