Chateau Nairac

The origin of the property was not too clear, but there is a school of thought that it was the estate of Andre Duranceau, a wealthy accountant from Bordeaux, who built an estate and leased out the vineyards. He later bequeathed the estate to Jerome Mercade, who was related to two other Sauternes proprietors at Climens and Romer-du-Hayot.

Jerome’s daughter-in-law Elizabeth Prost increased plantings and expanded the vineyard, but eventually selling to Elysee Nairac in 1777. The Nairac family erected the chateau and later sold to Bernard Capdeville of Chateau Broustet.

Capdeville united his vines in Broustet with those from Nairac, creating an estate called Broustet-Nerac, and this property was ranked in the 1855 classification. In 1861 Bernard died and the estate was divided back to its original constituent parts, with the Nairac portion passing on to Georgina, one of his daughters.

With the onset of phylloxera, Georgina’s husband decided to replant with black grape varieties instead. After the fiasco and because without a heir, the estate was passed to a cousin named Armichard, who sold it to a negociant named Jean-Charles Perpeza. 

Perpezat decided to replant the vineyard with Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle, the grapes more suitable and also the tradition of the region. And in 1966 the estate was again sold, to Dr Jean Gabriolle Seynat.

Unfortunately during Seynat’s reign the vineyards slipped into disrepair, with the wine sold in bulk, and it was only until it was acquired by the Heeter family in 1971 did the fortune reversed.

Tom Heeter was an American who worked at Chateau Giscours and later married the owner’s daughter, and he decided to renovate Chateau Nairac and moved in. With the renovation in the facilities and advice from Professor Emile Peynaud the quality improved immeasurably.

When Tom and his wife divorced, he left the family home and his wife Nicole stayed on with her children, hiring a new winemaker Francois Amirault, who left in 1993. The mantle was then passed to Nicole’s son Nicolas, who remained in control to this day.

The chateau is the first that one will encounter when heading south from Bordeaux to Barsac, with 17 hectares of vines. Because of the proximity to the Garonne, a more silty and alluvial soils are found with some clay, instead of the rich, red-brown soils and deeper limestone famous for Barsac. There are some plots located elsewhere though, with more classic Barsac soils, close to Chateau Climens.

Semillon accounts for 90% of the vineyard, with 6% Sauvignon Blanc and 4% Muscadelle, and the average vine age is 30 years. Tom Heeter and Francois Amirault both appreciated the fresh aromatics of Sauvignon Blanc so a higher proportion was used in the blend, and they were harvested earlier without noble rot. The Semillon was picked by hand in a series of tries, and only the botrytised fruit is selected, so yield is typically low.

The fruit is then pressed and transferred to oak for fermentation, using indigenous yeast. There is a philosophy of reducing the dependence of sulphur dioxide. Then the wine will see two years ageing in barrel, with racking, before bottling. A second wine named L’Esquisse is made.

The wine has a rich style but is still fresh, with vibrant acidity, with structure but sometimes a little heady and luscious. Certainly a good quality Barsac in my opinion.