THE BIRTH OF CHANTEGRIVE
FAMILY & SAVOIR-FAIRE
Titre 1
1966
If you like heart-warming stories, this is one of them. Our story begins in 1966 when Henri and Françoise Leveque decided to create what would later become Chateau de Chantegrive.
Henri and Françoise formed what today we would call a 'dream team' : a visionary, loving couple, passionately enthusiastic about wine. They believed in the magnificent terroir of the Graves region, and this decided them to sell their precious stamp collection in order to purchase their two first hectares of vines.
1985
It was in 1985 that Chateau de Chantegrive was admitted to the prestigious Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, which regroups classified as well as non-classified growths that are esteemed to be the most qualitative of the Bordeaux vineyards. The objective of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is to federate energies and promote excellence and savoir-faire.
1988
It was in this year that we decided to innovate and implement at Chantegrive what are known as 'Burgundy' fermentation and ageing techniques, including the stirring of our white wines on the lees in oak barrels. Cuvée Caroline was born and is now considered as the pioneer of the vinification techniques used at present in the majority of the Bordeaux Grands Crus.
Over the years Cuvée Caroline has become a wine so fondly remembered and appreciated by wine connoisseurs all around the globe. It is our flagship wine.
1998
Ten years after the creation of Cuvée Caroline, we invested in a new cellar specifically dedicated to this iconic wine. With a capacity of 300 barrels it is our 'gallery of delights'.
Come and visit Chantegrive at the moment of fermentation and delight your senses with the sweet aromas of white peaches and nectarines escaping from our precious oak 'jewel-case' barrels.
2009
Henri Leveque died following a long illness and left behind him a beautiful mark in the world of Bordeaux wine. A man of letters and a visionary, he was a broker on the Bordeaux market and was, moreover, President of the Bordeaux brokerage corporation. In the same year, in his honour, we created the Cuvée Henri Leveque. Made with grapes from our best plot of old vines, this cuvée is our Grand Cru. Matured in new barrels for 18 months, it is wonderfully concentrated and expresses itself on an aromatic bouquet of juicy and velvety black fruit.
2016
Chantegrive celebrates 50 years of its founding. The five Leveque children have taken over the management of the property alongside their mother. Marie-Helene Leveque enthusiastically carries on building what her parents created.
2020
We created our new, eco-friendly range of wines in our 'Bird' series. Each type of wine represents one of the charming species that can be seen in and around our vineyard. Alongside this initiative we also created our very own nature reserve at Chantegrive. Our first census of wildlife populations is now in progress.
1987
We built a huge cellar destined for the ageing of our great red wines and with a capacity of up to 600 barrels. Our Graves reds are vinified for 12 to 18 months in French oak barrels of from 225 to 300 litres. Our wine 'L'Origine' is the only one of our wines to be aged in stainless steel vats.
1990
Carrying on the family tradition at Chantegrive is at the heart of Françoise and Henri's children. This is why Marie-Helene Leveque joined the management team at Chantegrive. A few years later she was to be confirmed as the General Manager of the property alongside her mother, Françoise Leveque.
2006
The estate was given a real boost in 2006 thanks to the professional guidance of Hubert de Boüard, oenologist and owner of the famous Chateau Angelus in Saint-Emilion. His insightful analysis of our vinification and ageing techniques, as well as his overview, enabled us to achieve a very significant degree of precision.
2015
We have a heartfelt desire to share our family history and know-how, which is why we created in 2015 our on-site shop where you will discover our range of wines during a tasting. The shop is ideally situated between our superb barrel cellars and the vat cellar.
2017
Limiting the environmental footprint of our production has always been a priority at Chateau de Chantegrive. In July 2017 this approach and our policy of on-going improvement of the estate's environmental performance were rewarded by the attribution of HEV (High Environmental Value) certification at level 3, the highest level.
2021
Limiting the environmental footprint of our production has always been a priority at Chateau de Chantegrive. In July 2017 this approach and our policy of on-going improvement of the estate's environmental performance were rewarded by the attribution of HEV (High Environmental Value) certification at level 3, the highest level.