winery

Château Mongravey

Bordeaux, France

Philosophy

Cold maceration precedes ten-day fermentation in separate vats; fifty percent undergoes malolactic maturation in wood. Aged fourteen months in French oak, sixty percent new, yielding wines of uncommon finesse where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot achieve mineral-driven equilibrium on gravelly, well-drained soils.

Reputation

Régis Bernaleau inherited a modest two-hectare parcel from his father in 1981 and began methodically assembling choice plots across Arsac's plateau, each contributing distinct aromatic facets to his emerging Margaux. Sited between the classified growths of Giscours and du Tertre, the property exemplifies the Médoc's terroir hierarchy: gravel allowing deep root penetration and night-time heat restitution to struggling vines.

AllocationMultiple sources cite conflicting hectare counts: vignobles-bernaleau.com states 12 hectares (current authoritative claim); Perrines Wine Shop and Legacy Wine cite 13 hectares as created in 1981; other retail sources cite 36 acres ≈13.5 hectares. Using 12 ha per official producer site. Founded year consistently 1980 across sources. HVE certification verified 2017. Recent elevation to Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel for vintage 2023+ documented on producer site (2025 award). Jérôme's joining timeframe varies slightly ("five years ago" from 2023-2024 articles suggests ~2018-2019). No exclusive US importer identified; wine distributed through multiple US retail channels (Saratoga Wine, Wine.com, etc.). No organic or biodynamic certification found despite mention in one tertiary source (Rustic Vines Tours) of "Château Bernateau" conversion—this appears to be confusion with parent company Vignobles Bernaleau or another estate; production documentation shows only HVE and reasoned farming practices. Cross-producer parallels drawn conservatively; Palmer and Lascombes chosen for genuine terroir/classification parallel, not marketing positioning.

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