Chateau Cantenac Brown, Grand Cru Classé from 1855, in Margaux was founded 200 years ago by a Scottish John Lewis Brown. Recognizable by its spectacular Tudor-style chateau, Cantenac Brown is still family owned today and has announced the construction of a new, unique winery made entirely of raw earth.
An eco-responsible cellar meets a variety of criteria to which Chateau Cantenac Brown is committed. These different criteria guarantee both low CO2 emissions during the construction of the cellar and during its use. Eco-responsible architecture, as Philippe Madec describes it, is an architecture that respects the Earth and people, does not harm them. Find out how this definition applies perfectly to the new raw earth cellar at Château Cantenac Brown.
An eco-responsible cellar crucial to wine production
When the Le Lous family arrived at Château Cantenac Brown, the construction of a new eco-responsible winery became an obvious choice. Indeed, the estate has never ceased to improve the quality of its wines and has gradually reached the level we know today. However, the desire to surpass itself is what drives the Cantenac Brown teams every day. In this process, the construction of a new winery is crucial. Indeed, it promises the chateau’s teams to gain in precision during the different stages of wine making.
However, the construction of this new cellar could not be done without a true environmental approach. Thus, the teams at Château Cantenac Brown have launched a major challenge. The challenge was to build a winery that was deeply respectful of the environment. However, this winery must also have all the qualities needed to fulfill our mission: to let the power of the earth express itself. To meet this challenge, two things must be considered: the construction of the winery and its use.
Eco-responsibility at the heart of the winery’s construction
To guarantee its sustainability, the teams at Château Cantenac Brown have chosen an architecture perfectly adapted to these constraints. First of all, the new winery will be built from raw earth and will not use any chemical compounds. This approach also includes cement, the manufacture of which is responsible for between 7 and 9% of global CO2 emissions according to the UN.
One of the pillars of eco-responsible architecture is also to make the most of the existing buildings. To respect this principle, the existing buildings serve as the basis for our new winery. By starting from these, we integrate the winery perfectly into its environment and surroundings while avoiding the construction of certain parts.
The use of local and bio-sourced materials is also necessary for the construction of an eco-responsible winery. All the materials used in this work will come from producers as close as possible to the château. That said, this cellar is the symbol of a symbiotic relationship between the building and its environment; a relationship that allows the expression of the power of the earth.
An eco-responsible winery in its operation
Finally, an eco-responsible cellar needs to have a low impact on the environment during its use. In other words, the operation of this building must include all the practical aspects necessary for its proper installation, while requiring little energy.
For that, it is necessary to design the building for its uses. First of all, the grapes from the harvest are received in the cellar. For this, they must be kept at a low temperature. Consequently, we have chosen a naturally shaded hall. This allows us to receive the grapes in complete serenity for the chateau and to avoid the abusive use of air-conditioning or methods that bring coolness.
Moreover, a cellar requires temperature and hygrometry control to guarantee the good aging of the wine. The use of raw earth allows a natural regulation of hygrometry and temperature. At the right temperature, the wine can develop in an optimal way to express all the qualities of the Margaux and Cantenac plateaux in your glass.
This new raw earth winery will be used for the 2023 harvest. It promises to take Chateau Cantenac Brown and its wines on an adventure that we invite you to join.