Château d’Orschwihr

Alsace, France

The first recorded mention of the Château d’Orschwihr dates back to 1049. The Hartmann family acquired the Château in 1854. Martin Hartmann turned the vineyards to commercial use in the 50s. His son, Hubert, took over in 1986 and increased the size of the vineyards from 6 to the present 25 hectares. Now, grandson Gautier is the latest in the family to continue the tradition. Not only is the property centuries old, but the Hartmann family philosophy of how to treat the earth, the vineyards, and the wines has also stayed true: deliberate use of ground cover, low yields, and no chaptalization among other practices give beautifully balanced wines and world class Grand Crus. 

Château de Valcombe

Costières de Nîmes | Rhône Valley, France

Château de Valcombe, a family-owned property since 1749, is the southernmost estate in the Costières de Nîmes. Close to the Mediterranean Sea and planted on soils boasting the highest concentration of limestone in the region, Valcombe offers refined, concentrated wines with exuberant freshness and minerality. In 1791 the estate received official recognition from the revolutionary army for the quality of wines sent to the frontlines; wines from the domain were featured at the 1855 and 1873 World’s Fairs.

Following the Second World War, the estate was inherited by Charles Ricome, who replanted most of the vineyards and was among the first to plant Syrah in the appellation. The reins of the estate have been handed to Charles’s son Dominique and his grandsons Basile and Nicolas. The vineyards planted in 1955 are still in cultivation.

Château Puy-Servain

Montravel & Bergerac, France

Château Puy-Servain, located high in the Montravel and Bergerac appellations, is owned by Daniel Hecquet– one of the regions best and most innovative winemakers. Daniel is an accomplished oenologist, having honed his skills while working at Château d’Yquem and Chateau Figeac before returning home to Puy-Servain.

Owned by the Hecquet family for three generations, the estate takes its name from the locality Puy Servain, which means windy summit (puy) (servain). The 47 hectares of vines is farmed with sustainable agriculture and produce wines from Bergerac, Montravel, Pécharmant, Côte de Montravel and Haut Montravel.

Jean-Baptiste Audy

Bordeaux, France

Founded by the man of the same name in 1906 – Jean-Baptiste AUDY settled in Libourne, and began a wine trading company along the banks of the Dordogne river. Today, the family owns a number of properties on the right bank of Bordeaux, including Clos du Clocher in Pomerol and Château du Courlat in the satellite appellation of Lussac-Saint-Emilion.

The company is still run by Jean-Baptiste’s descendants: firstly, his grandson Pierre Bourotte, and since 2003 his great-grandson Jean-Baptiste Bourotte.

Ambrosia Vins De Propriétés

Bordeaux, France

Ambrosia was established as a negociant business in 1990 by the Tessandier Family, owners of nine Chateaux in the Bordeaux region.

Although they continue to use traditional methods for producing their wines, the Tessandier family manage to achieve a suppleness and forward style which makes their wines appealing to the modern palate.