Château L'Éperon, Vérac: Olivier Bonnélye, biochemist turned winegrower, gives Malbec a place again

At Château L'Éperon in Vérac, Olivier Bonnélye, a biochemist turned winegrower, has run eleven hectares of vines in Bordeaux Supérieur since 2021 on the Right Bank, Dordogne side. With friends, he is giving Malbec a place again and starting agroforestry, trees among the vines.

How would you describe Château L'Éperon?

Eleven hectares of vines out of 35, in the Libournais

In Vérac, Gironde, fifteen minutes from Libourne, Château L'Éperon farms eleven hectares of vines on a 35-hectare property. Its reds are AOC Bordeaux Supérieur, the Bordeaux with stricter rules. The soils mix clay and limestone, as in Saint-Émilion.

“Our ambition is to respect the identity and history of the château while bringing it a more contemporary vision.”

The building dates from 1810, the vines from 1830. The éperon is the rooster's spur: legend credits the hunting lodge to the Duke of Chambord, fond of cockfighting, and the bird stays on the label.

In 2021, We Love Bordeaux, their company, bought the estate; Olivier Bonnélye is its managing director and winegrower, with Nathalie Bonnélye on sales and Maria Deyonker looking after the house and its guests.

When did you catch the wine bug?

A grandfather in the Burgundy wine trade, then back to school

No winegrowers in Olivier Bonnélye's family, but a maternal grandfather who was a négociant, a wine merchant, in Burgundy.

“I could almost say I inherited it.”

Travel did the rest. Vineyards visited, producers met on several continents: he keeps, he says, what a wine tells of a place.

“That passion eventually led me to change professional life, to go back to studying in the wine field and to become a winegrower myself.”

Before AgroSup, an agronomy school where he went back to study, this biochemist by training had worked in the pharmaceutical industry, then in logistics; in 2021 he bought the château with his partners.

What philosophy guides your work in the vineyard and in the cellar?

HVE 3 since 2018, agroforestry since 2025, no organic label

No organic label at Château L'Éperon, but HVE level 3 since 2018. HVE, for Haute Valeur Environnementale, is a French public label for sustainable farming, audited from biodiversity to water. The estate belongs to the Vignerons Indépendants.

“Our philosophy comes down to a few words: respect what exists, understand our terroir, but never be afraid to evolve.”

Evolving starts with agroforestry, launched in 2025: trees and hedges in and around the plots, to feed biodiversity and raise the organic matter of the soils naturally, the team explains.

In the cellar, Olivier Bonnélye compares and experiments, he says, without freezing tradition. Six months in oak barrels are enough for the Château L'Éperon red: the ageing, that maturing after fermentation, stays short.

Which wine best represents your estate?

The L'Éclat cuvée, where Malbec gets its place back

Olivier Bonnélye does not hesitate.

“Today, I would choose L'Éclat.”

The L'Éclat cuvée is a red Bordeaux Supérieur, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon according to its product sheet, into which the winegrower brings Malbec.

“Malbec plays an important role in it. It is a historic grape of the Bordeaux region that I am extremely fond of and to which we want to give back a real place.”

He opens it among friends, he says, with a cut of beef, a duck breast or a stew; its sheet notes ripe cherry, blackcurrant and vanilla. The estate's Merlot, the château's first single-varietal wine according to the winegrower, plays lighter: cherry and plum, tapas and burgers.

Which memory at the estate has marked you most?

A James Suckling score for the L'Esprit 2022 cuvée

The memory concerns a cuvée the winegrower names, L'Esprit, vintage 2022.

“When James Suckling gave it 92 points, it was the first time in the history of Château L'Éperon that one of our wines had reached such a score.”

A score never sums up a wine, he adds, but this one came shortly after the takeover and reassured the team. The Château L'Éperon red 2018, harvested before this team arrived, already had one star in the 2021 Guide Hachette.

Why follow Château L'Éperon?

Whites to come, a Chenin under IGP Atlantique, and boldness

Because the estate is moving. New plots have been planted: Cabernet Franc, and above all whites, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris and Chenin Blanc.

“Chenin Blanc is probably our most experimental project. As this grape is not allowed under our appellation's specifications, the wine will probably be produced as IGP Atlantique.”

IGP Atlantique takes in the Gironde wines that fall outside the AOC rules, like this Chenin, a Loire grape, and the limestone of Vérac promises taut whites, the estate believes. One word to describe the estate?

“Boldness.”

What gets him up, Olivier Bonnélye explains: each vintage starts the story again, you never know it all. He chose this career change and knows why he is here. The rest will be read vintage after vintage.

Discover the cuvées of Château L'Éperon direct from the estate, at the estate price, on Avenue des Vins.

Frequently asked questions about Château L'Éperon

What is Bordeaux Supérieur?

A regional AOC across the Bordeaux region, same grapes as Bordeaux, stricter rules: lower yields, riper grapes and nine months' ageing at least for reds. Château L'Éperon makes most of its reds under it.

Why is Malbec rare in Bordeaux?

Introduced in the 17th century, Malbec, also called Côt, is frost-sensitive and now covers only 2% of Bordeaux reds. It brings colour, suppleness and aromatics; Château L'Éperon blends it into its L'Éclat cuvée.

What is agroforestry in a vineyard?

Planting trees and shrubs in the plot or along its edges, as hedges or clusters. They shelter birds and useful insects, feed the soil and temper wind and heat. The estate began in 2025.

Where is Vérac in the Bordeaux wine region?

On a plateau in the Fronsadais, right bank of the Dordogne, near Libourne. Its vines are AOC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur, outside the Fronsac area; Château L'Éperon farms eleven hectares there.

Can you grow Chenin Blanc in Bordeaux?

Yes, but outside the AOC: white Bordeaux allows Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle, not Chenin. A Gironde Chenin is released as IGP Atlantique, covering Gironde and four neighbouring départements. Château L'Éperon has planted some.