Château Mauvinon: a Saint-Emilion grand cru of elegance and finesse

Since 1962, Château Mauvinon has been in the hands of the Tribaudeau family.

Available directly from the estate on Avenue des Vins.

How did the Tribaudeau family come to own Château Mauvinon?

A family passion

Claude Tribaudeau, a wine enthusiast, acquired this beautiful 6.5-hectare vineyard in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, one of the eight villages that make up the Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, governed by the Jurade since the Middle Ages. Initially, all the wine produced was delivered to the Saint-Emilion cooperative winery. In the late 1980s, Claude’s son Philippe and his wife Brigitte took over, deciding to develop direct sales at the estate.

How did Philippe and Brigitte learn the craft of winemaking?

From other careers to the vineyard

To achieve this, they built a vinification cellar and invested in modern equipment, including stainless steel vinification tanks. Alongside their children, these two wine lovers, who transitioned into winemaking later in life, released their first vintage in 1990.

Before taking over Château Mauvinon, Philippe was a lawyer, and I worked in molecular biology, which gave me a broad perspective on viticulture,

explains Brigitte Tribaudeau.

I then did an internship in vinification at an agricultural school and surrounded myself with specialists: an oenologist, a phytosanitary advisor, and a biodynamics consultant,

she continues. Following her husband’s death in 2013, Brigitte took on the management of the estate by herself, dedicating herself completely to the task. Respectful of the environment, she initiated the conversion to organic farming in 2017 while already practicing biodynamics with the help of her consultant. She also invested in advanced equipment, such as a new tubular heat exchanger to cool the harvest and perform pre-fermentation vinifications at cold temperatures. Additionally, she developed the estate’s wine tourism by offering visitors a personalized experience, including a tour of the vineyard and cellar to explain the winemaking process, followed by a tasting of two cuvées.

Brigitte’s long-term project is to build a beautiful tasting room to accommodate more visitors.

What style of wines does Brigitte produce today?

Elegant and balanced wines

In the meantime, Brigitte puts all her efforts into producing high-quality wines. On her beautiful terroirs composed of gravelly sands, she produces two cuvées under the AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru: Château Mauvinon and Gabriel Lauzat. The style of her wines? Refined and balanced cuvées with lovely fruit flavors not overshadowed by excessive oak, silky tannins, and a long finish.

Oak is like makeup on a beautiful woman, it enhances her beauty without hiding it. Therefore, the oak must be well-integrated to highlight the fruit’s crispness,

Brigitte explains. This is evident in the 2009 Gabriel Lauzat cuvée, which pays tribute to Philippe’s great-grandfather, a true pioneer as one of the first to plant vines in Algeria. This limited production of 2,000 bottles comes from a few well-protected rows of vines harvested at night by headlamp to avoid fruit oxidation. This cuvée is entirely vinified in new 500-liter barrels to integrate a lovely oak character. It charms with its red fruit aromas, spicy and woody palate, which pairs perfectly with a beef roast in a crust accompanied by some mushrooms.

What can you tell us about the other cuvées in the range?

The Château Mauvinon vintages

The Château Mauvinon 2014 is an elegant cuvée with hints of morello cherry, licorice, and rich, melted tannins that pair beautifully with stuffed guinea fowl fillets with mushrooms or Brie de Meaux. The Château Mauvinon 2015, an excellent vintage in the Bordeaux region, boasts a complex and distinctive palate with firm yet silky tannins, making it a wine for aging. It pairs well with grilled ribeye or farm-produced Ossau-Iraty cheese.

If you find yourself near Saint-Emilion, now you know where to stop!

Discover the wines of Château Mauvinon directly from the estate, at the estate price, in a short supply chain on Avenue des Vins.

Frequently asked questions about Château Mauvinon

Where is Château Mauvinon located?

The estate sits in Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, one of the villages within the Saint-Émilion jurisdiction, in the Bordeaux vineyards. The Tribaudeau family has run it since 1962, farming 6.5 hectares of vines.

Which appellation and cuvées does the estate produce?

Brigitte Tribaudeau makes two cuvées under AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Château Mauvinon and Gabriel Lauzat. The vines grow on gravelly-sand soils that lend the wines their balance.

What is the style of Château Mauvinon wines?

Expect clear fruit kept in the foreground, restrained and well-knit oak, silky tannins and a long finish. This refined profile makes the wines enjoyable young and after a few years of ageing alike.

Is the estate farming organically?

Yes. Already working biodynamically, Brigitte Tribaudeau began converting to organic farming in 2017. She also invested in equipment to cool the harvest and run cold pre-fermentation maceration.

What makes the Gabriel Lauzat cuvée special?

It is a small-batch wine drawn from a few rows picked at night by headlamp to protect the fruit. It ages in new 500-litre barrels and honours a family ancestor who pioneered vine planting in Algeria.