Château Lestignac is an estate winery in Sigoulès, a commune in the Bergerac AOC region of South West France. The estate was created in 2008 by Mathias and Camille Marquet. The domaine dates to 1617and belonged to the same family for several generations. The new owners started making their own wine 2008, having immediately adopted organic practices (see organic certification, below). They initially worked with the advice of oenologists but they decided they preferred a less interventist, more natural winemaking style, Mathias told me. He added that the couple ‘like to make single varitetal, single terroir wines as in Burgundy, one grape variety on one patch of land. We do several small cuvées, three or for for white wine and 5 or 6 for red (5-6). Half of those are with no added sulfite and the others contain low levels of sulfites.’

Owners: Camille & Mathias Marquet.

Vineyards: 12ha (30 acres) of vines. Around 10km south of the town of Bergerac. The vines are on the limestone plate of Monbazillac.

Organics | The couple make their own plant-based sprays (stinging nettle, Equisetum arvense) to helps,

Certification: 2008 The estate adopted organic practices immediately from its creation in 2008. | 2010 Conversion to official organic status began. | 2013 First vintage with full organic certification.

White wines

Blanc: 2013 Vin de Table. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle and Ugni Blanc.

Blanc, Les Brumes: 2014 Vin de Table. Orange wine. Sweet. Semillon, Ugnic Blanc.

Red wines

Tolrem: 2014 Vin de Table. Merlot. No added sulfites.

Contact

Château Lestignac

4 route de Sigoulès

F-24240 Sigoulès (Dordogne), France

Tel+33 05.53.58.84.37

Bibliography

Isabelle Legeron MW, Natural Wine, An introduction to organic and biodynamic wines grown naturally (2014, Cico Books, London & New York), p.148.