“Cuvée 'Par Dessus Les Temps' is aged in tanks (80%) and barrels (20%). The bouquet shines with its harmony and complexity. A superb marriage between maturity and freshness, intensity and subtlety. Appetizing and creamy on the palate, the wine stands out with fine and precise tannins that slowly reveal themselves, emphasizing their impact at the end of the mouth. A great wine with character, deserving of some aging and deserving of our full attention. What a level! 2026-2040 94/100” Yves Beck – November 2022
Thanks to Guillaume and Gwennaëlle Pouvaret, Château Grand-Maison is undergoing a rejuvenation. In August 2020, despite the difficulties caused by Covid, and after months of searching, they discovered this gem of 12 hectares, located in the Côtes de Bourg appellation, facing the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. The couple wanted to allow others to experience beautiful emotions while tasting a wine crafted with the utmost respect for the terroir, as Guillaume felt through his work as an oenologist (Faculty of Oenology in Montpellier). With Château Grand-Maison, this has been achieved… Gwennaëlle, on the other hand, after studying Political Science and Archaeology, underwent training at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences and continues to learn month after month from the region's top masters.
Organic farming (and biodynamics) was a natural choice for both of them, and the choice of draught horses to work the land seemed like the ideal solution given the steep slopes and high density of planting. After two years of hard work, the vines are now resilient to the abrupt climate changes that the Bordeaux region faces. Throughout the seasons, the couple learns to deal with interactions between fauna and flora (introduction of vegetated hedges, planting fruit trees in the middle of the vineyard), becoming masters in observing the vineyard's needs. The result is a great respect for the soils, a vegetal well-being without chemical inputs, and a wine that magnifies the terroir up to their expectations.
The plots are divided into four types of subsoils: clay-limestone, clay-gravelly, red Bourgeais loams, and molasses. The clayey parts have the ability to retain water, allowing the vines to delve their roots deeply in case of drought spikes. The different winds, very present, serve to dry the plants during heavy rains. Merlot has a dominant place in Château Grand-Maison, respecting the usage of the Bourg appellation, followed by Malbec (some vines of which are 60 years old!) and Cabernet Franc.
The harvest is done manually, parcel by parcel, and the vinification is done separately to magnify the diversity of the terroir, with daily observation of the juice's evolution. Gentle and slow extraction is preferred to reveal their tannic power and aromatic potential. The subsequent blending is delicate and thoughtful, with Château Grand-Maison wines bringing a lot of emotion, elegance, and freshness.
The cuvée "Par-dessus les temps" that we offer has an almost black robe, fine and precise tannins, and notes of small black fruits, violet, and licorice. It reveals a lot of intensity and subtlety. After a few years of aging, it will gain maturity and reveal all its complexity. Rated 94/100 by Yves Beck, it is said of it: "A great wine with character… deserving of all our attention. What a level!".
