The Entre-deux-Mers
The Area
The Grapes
The Butterfly
The open Vineyard

THE AREA

Nature rarely has a greater hand in the creation of enjoyable, high-quality Bordeaux with such character as it does at CHATEAU PERAYNE.


THE PROTECTED AREA

CHATEAU PERAYNE is situated in an extremely advantageous position above the beautiful Garonne valley, protected from cold northern Atlantic winds and heavy precipitation by a crest in the hills. Rain clouds are forced to break before the hill, which spares sensitive fruit growing on the slope. The undulating vineyard is in an ideal situation facing south. There is plenty of sun for all the grapes all day long, from the gentle rosé sunrise in the east to the deep red evening in the west. Being in such a well-protected area, the grapes at CHATEAU PERAYNE allow an earlier and therefore more reliable harvest - even before the first signs of autumn in France.


THE VNIENEYARD SOURCE

An idyllic natural feature of CHATEAU PERAYNE is the small, clear stream originating in the middle of the vineyards, quite close to the main building, where the relief of the land dips. At its source, which has grown over with sycamore trees, cypresses and an aromatic meadow orchard, it is dammed and collected in a basin at the foot of the PERAYNE hills. The stream water has drinking water quality.


MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

With 2,200 hours of sunlight each year, the climate in the Entre-deux-Mers can almost be considered Mediterranean. At the same time, the Atlantic Ocean has a large say in the weather, which means that Bordeaux wine naturally develops a unique character for each vintage. It is generally the case for CHATEAU PERAYNE that grapes thrive at their best when favoured by summers that are not too hot, a largely sunny autumn and a pleasantly mild winter. Rainfall is moderate and a feature of all seasons - another reason for the aromatic maturity of the grapes.


AERATED SOIL

NATURE & BORDEAUX has its foundation in a mineral-rich, loamy and chalky soil. The surface is also well aerated because of pebbles which are mixed with the earth. The chalk in the lower levels of the soil acts rather like a sponge: heavier winter rain is stored and becomes an important reservoir for the grapes. The vines, whose roots grow many metres into the ground, can therefore reach deep water in unusually dry summers such as that of 2003. Even during a period of arid conditions, the leaves do not wither at CHATEAU PERAYNE.