Château Thieuley Blanc, Bordeaux 2023

Francis Courselle was one of the first to show the Bordelais how to make dry white wine that people want to drink. While teaching at Bordeaux University, he was putting his ideas into practice with considerable success at his charming property Château Thieuley at La Sauve, in the centre of Entre-Deux-Mers. His secret lies in harvesting high-quality fruit and preserving its aroma and character in bottle. His two daughters have now followed in his footsteps and are making better wine than ever at this excellent property.

Environmental sustainability
The vineyard and winery are certified sustainable by three different organisations. Terra Vitis is a certification for wine growers only. Bee Friendly is focused on protection of bees and pollinators. HV3 is set up to recognise high values for the environment. There is also a strong commitment to biodiversity, which is helped by using the minimum necessary chemical inputs. Indeed, no herbicides or insecticides are used and green manure is preferred, with a focus also on recycling water at the winery.

Social sustainability
In their procurement processes, Thieuley have always chosen to support a ‘made in France’ supply chain. For packaging, labels, bottles and capsules, 98% of the companies they use are French. Many are local and sometimes, where possible, like Thieuley itself, family owned.