Château Villars
The leading estates of overlooked right-bank appellations such as Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Fronsac, Canon-Fronsac and the Côtes de Bourg are often touted as a source of good-value alternatives to the increasingly expensive wines of big-name Bordeaux. The historic appellation of Fronsac, once more favoured at royal tables than any wine from St Emilion or Pomerol but now too frequently disregarded, would seem to be in a good position to fill this role, Even so, just as is the case elsewhere in Bordeaux, you need to find the right domaine, one where the proprietor is determined to make the best of his soil, and his vines, regardless of the lowly status of the appellation.
Over the past couple of decades one estate that would match this description is Château Villars. Located close to the hamlet of Saillans, the Gaudrie family have held tenure here for two centuries, across seven generations. And it is the most recent of these generations, Jean-Claude Gaudrie, who is largely responsible for the domaine’s modern-day high-flying reputation. In this profile I explore what we know of the domaine’s history, as well as looking at the domaine and its wines today.
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