Producer Spotlight: Chateau Trianon

A Royal Name, a Bordeaux Obsession

Few estates in Saint-Émilion carry as romantic a backstory as Château Trianon. The estate takes its name from the Grand Trianon of Versailles; the private retreat where Louis XIV famously declared the wines of Saint-Émilion to be the nectar of the gods. That connection between royalty and this specific patch of earth is no accident. Records trace the property to the 17th century, when an advisor to the Sun King himself identified the terroir and had it planted with vines.

In the 19th century, Trianon passed to the Andrieu and Lecointre families, functioning as a country retreat surrounded by meadows and working vineyards. It remained modest in scale with fewer than 10 acres under vine as late as 1952, until production was expanded to 16 acres. By the close of the 20th century, the estate had fallen into disrepair, its true potential quietly waiting.

Then came the pivotal moment. In 1999, following the sale of his stake in Château Cheval Blanc (one of Saint-Émilion's two First Growths and one of the top estates in the world) winemaker Dominique Hébrard found himself looking for a new challenge. He purchased Château Trianon and spent the two and a half decades since reshaping it from the ground up: replanting vines, analyzing soil parcel by parcel with agronomist Jean Cordeau, constructing a high-tech winery and barrel cellar, and calling in consulting enologist Hubert de Bouard of Château Angélus. The result has been a quiet but undeniable ascent.

Today, Hébrard's son Timothée drives international expansion while the family continues its mission of bringing Trianon to the Chateau’s true potential.

The Terroir

Château Trianon sits southwest of the village of Saint-Émilion in a UNESCO World Heritage-designated landscape. The 14.5 hectares of vines grow on a mosaic of soils: sandy-clay over iron-bearing rock in the lower plots, red gravel over the surface in others, and pockets of limestone throughout. Vines average 35 years of age. Notably, Trianon is home to some of the oldest Carmenère vines (almost 50 years old!) on Bordeaux's Right Bank, a true rarity in the appellation. Vine density runs to 6,000 plants per hectare. The estate holds HVE Level 3 (High Environmental Value) certification and has also pursued ISO 14001 environmental management certification.

Winemaker's Perspective

"We have reached a milestone. Until then the wine was lush and palatable, endowed with a certain elegance — and little by little we are getting closer to a grand wine, with more finesse, balance and precision." — Dominique Hébrard

Vinification at Trianon is deliberate and precise. Fruit is harvested entirely by hand into small crates and sorted twice on a double vibrating table. A cold soak between 12 and 15°C before fermentation, which occurs parcel-by-parcel in truncated, thermo-regulated concrete and stainless-steel tanks. Post-fermentation maceration extends to 28–30°C, drawing structure and depth from the skins. The wine is aged 15 months in a mix of 50% new French oak and 50% one-year-old barrels.

Bottle Highlight

Château Trianon 2015, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

The 2015 Trianon is one of the estate's standout vintages, arriving in a year when Bordeaux produced some of the most celebrated wines of the decade. A walnut and blackberry-scented nose gives way to a full, chocolatey palate with round, polished tannins. This is Saint-Émilion at its most classically enjoyable. This is a bottle for a serious weeknight dinner or as an anchor for a small but carefully chosen cellar.

• Varietals: 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Carmenère

• Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux

• Soil: Clay, sand, iron trace red stone

• Production: 60,000 bottles

• Scores: 94–95 pts James Suckling | 92–93 pts Bettane & Desseauve | 16.5 pts Jancis Robinson

We also have the 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Vintages in stock! 

Pavillon de Trianon, 2020 Rouge, Bordeaux

Hébrard's entry-level Bordeaux red is built around the same environmental values and attention to detail as the grand vin, just without the cellar commitment. Vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel before 9 months of aging in 100% oak barrels, the result is a genuinely structured Right Bank-style red at an approachable price. Scored 94 pts by Tom Mullen (Forbes) and 90 pts by Andreas Larsson, this is a fantastic option for a weeknight dinner.

• Varietals: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

• Appellation: Bordeaux

• Certification: HVE 3

• Scores: 94 pts Tom Mullen (Forbes) | 90 pts Andreas Larsson