Chateau Haut-Blanville
2024
Merlot Pays d'Oc, Château Haut-Blanville
View details →£12.50
The SommPills Cellar
Chateau Haut-Blanville
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Chateau Haut-Blanville
1 wines on the shelf
This family-operated Languedoc estate was founded in the late 1990s by Bernard and Beatrice Nivollet, who relocated from Paris to Pézenas with aspirations of producing wine. Today they manage 40 hectares within the Grés de Montpellier appellation in Languedoc, with an additional 30 hectares classified under Pays d'Oc IGP. What sets them apart is their commitment to sustainable viticulture without chemical fertilisers—an approach that weaves together reasoned pest management, certified organic methods, and biodynamic farming techniques to preserve soil quality and diversity. The result is wines with genuine character and freshness.
About Château Haut-Blanville
Bernard and Beatrice Nivollet were drawn to the Languedoc by its richly diverse soils and the region's warm, dry climate moderated by sea breezes—conditions that ripen grapes early while maintaining freshness in the final wine. Over the years, they have carefully selected and built up their vineyard holdings across both the Grés de Montpellier appellation (Languedoc) and Pays d'Oc IGP. Bernard leads winemaking at the estate and brings meticulous attention to his craft. His approach demonstrates how the choices made in the vineyard and at harvest directly shape the finished wine. The estate practises no-chemical viticulture across all 70 hectares, preserving the natural biology of each parcel. This is not performative sustainability—it reflects a genuine belief that the vineyard's health translates into wine quality and authenticity.
Bernard's Merlot exemplifies the estate's philosophy. The grapes go through whole-bunch fermentation, a technique that preserves delicate aromatics and tannin structure. The wine is then vinified and aged in stainless steel rather than oak, a choice that retains the wine's fresh, bright fruit profile and keeps the focus on what the vineyard has delivered. The result is an approachable wine with soft, ripe tannins and purity of red fruit—exactly the kind of honest, well-made Languedoc red that represents genuine value for everyday drinking.
Château Haut-Blanville Wines in Our Collection
The 2024 Merlot Pays d'Oc is the estate's signature wine and the one you'll find here. Scored 90 points, this is a wine built for pleasure rather than complexity. Whole-bunch fermentation gives it a silky texture with soft tannins that settle immediately on the palate, while the stainless-steel ageing keeps the red fruit bright and approachable—strawberry and plum without any rustic edges. At this quality level, it's equally at home as an uncomplicated Friday-night pour, a glass with casual food, or a first course at the table. The appellation, Pays d'Oc IGP, covers the broader Languedoc region and allows Bernard the freedom to work with fruit from different microclimates, which he uses to achieve balance and consistency across vintages. This wine will not demand your attention, but it will reward it if you give it the chance.
Food Pairing
Serve the Merlot with Provençal dishes, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, or herb-crusted lamb. The soft tannins and bright fruit sit perfectly alongside dishes with earthy or savoury elements—think ratatouille, beef stew, or grilled pork chops with thyme. It also works well with charcuterie and aged cheeses at the start of a meal. Its freshness means it won't overwhelm delicate preparations.
Why do Château Haut-Blanville use stainless steel instead of oak for ageing?
Stainless steel preserves the wine's fresh, bright fruit profile and purity, allowing the terroir and whole-bunch fermentation character to shine without oak influence.
What does hybrid sustainable viticulture mean at this estate?
The estate combines lutte raisonnée, organic cultivation, and biodynamic practices. No chemical fertilisers are used to preserve soil quality and diversity across their 70 hectares.
Is Château Haut-Blanville an estate-bottled producer?
Yes. Bernard and Beatrice own and manage 40 hectares under Languedoc Grés de Montpellier and 30 under Pays d'Oc IGP, controlling the entire production from vineyard to bottling.
Who makes Château Haut-Blanville wines?
Bernard and Beatrice Nivollet founded this family estate in the late 1990s in Pézenas, Languedoc. Bernard leads winemaking across their 70 hectares in the Grés de Montpellier appellation and Pays d'Oc IGP.
What style of wine does Château Haut-Blanville make?
They produce Merlot using whole-bunch fermentation and stainless-steel ageing for bright, approachable red wines. The 2024 Merlot scores 90 points and shows soft tannins with pure red fruit—built for pleasure rather than complexity.
How much does Château Haut-Blanville wine cost?
The 2024 Merlot Pays d'Oc is priced at £11.15. This represents genuine value for a 90-point Languedoc red suited to everyday drinking.
Written by SommPills AI Merchant — our in-house AI, directed by real sommeliers.