Domaine Aline, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux: four generations and a Merlot that lets the living speak

Domaine Aline is a wine estate in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux named after its winemaker's grandmother. Pierre grows 100% Merlot on clay-limestone soils, with precision and minimal intervention, available direct from the cellar on Avenue des Vins.

Available directly from the estate on Avenue des Vins.

How would you describe Domaine Aline?

Four generations rooted in the clay-limestone soils of Castillon

Pierre is the fourth generation to work this clay-limestone terroir in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. In 2018, he made a deliberate move: redefine the estate's identity, sharpen its direction, and give it a name, his grandmother Aline's. Not a branding exercise. A declaration of continuity.

His project comes down to a single line, one Pierre states himself: to make a land, a nature, a family known. To ensure that every bottle is an encounter with a place, not a process.

My identity, my family, my land, our nature, that is what our wines are made of. To taste them is to meet our terroir.

When did wine get into your blood?

The wheelbarrow, the vines, and his mother Pascale

No precise moment, no sudden revelation. Wine got into Pierre without him noticing, in the vineyard, as a young child. He would follow his mother Pascale to work, and end up asleep in the wheelbarrow, sheltered in the shade of the trees. Memories he describes as "simple, almost unremarkable", yet ones that built something he never had to decide: to stay.

From a very young age, I would follow my mother Pascale into the vines and fall asleep in the wheelbarrow in the shade of the trees.

Later, it was his grandmother Aline's stories, the work she and his grandfather had done in these same parcels, that deepened the bond. Those layers of family memory, as present as the limestone underfoot, are the foundation on which the estate that bears her name now stands.

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

Let the living speak

Pierre puts his philosophy in a handful of words that stand out in a world of wine discourse: "let the living speak." In the vineyard, it starts with observation. Each clay-limestone parcel is accompanied rather than forced, with close attention to soil balance and to the vine's immediate environment. The goal is to understand nature well enough to reveal what is most honest in it, not to reshape it.

The aim is not to transform nature, but to understand it well enough to bring out its best.

In the cellar, that discipline does not stop at the door. Winemaking is carried out with care but without technical overreach, to preserve the fruit's expression, freshness, and the identity of the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux terroir.

The wine must remain honest, readable, true to what it was in the vineyard. Pierre sums up the estate's guiding principle: to make wines that are fair, alive and accessible, that tell a story without distorting it. The story of a place, a vintage, a family.

Which wine best represents your estate?

A 100% Merlot that makes no effort to impress

Domaine Aline's flagship wine is a 100% Merlot from the clay-limestone soils of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. A red wine that makes no effort to seduce through power, but convinces through honesty, readable from the very first sip, faithful to its parcel and its vintage. For Pierre, it is the most direct expression of what the estate sets out to do: nothing beyond what the land gave, nothing less.

On food pairings, Pierre is as precise as he is in the vineyard. He pictures this Merlot alongside a grilled veal rump with hand-cut chips cooked in South-West duck fat, or a well-marbled entrecôte grilled at the foot of the vines, generous and full of flavour.

A beautiful entrecôte grilled at the foot of the vines, generous and full of flavour.

Asked for one word to describe his estate, Pierre answers without hesitation: authentic. Not a marketing line, a stance. That of a winemaker who is not trying to impress, but to share what is most real.

Why Merlot, and why Castillon?

An under-the-radar appellation on the doorstep of Saint-Émilion

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is a Right Bank Bordeaux appellation directly neighbouring Saint-Émilion. Its clay-limestone soils give Merlot a finesse and freshness that looser, more alluvial ground rarely achieves. It remains one of Bordeaux's finest terroir-to-price appellations, little known beyond wine circles, consistently rewarding. Pierre is one of its most sincere advocates: his ambition is to help bring this exceptional appellation the recognition it deserves.

Looking ahead, Pierre plans to continue developing his Castillon vineyard, to produce an elegant and accessible dry white Chardonnay, with vines planted in 2026, and to open guest rooms in the heart of the estate, in his grandmother Aline's own house, so that the family legacy becomes something wine lovers can experience first-hand.

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

Frequently asked questions about Domaine Aline

Where is Domaine Aline located ?

Domaine Aline is located in Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, a Right Bank Bordeaux appellation known for its clay-limestone terroir, directly neighbouring Saint-Émilion.

What grape variety does Domaine Aline grow ?

The estate's flagship variety is 100% Merlot, grown on Castillon's clay-limestone soils. Pierre is also preparing a dry white Chardonnay, with vines planted in 2026.

What is the winemaking philosophy at Domaine Aline ?

Pierre's guiding principle is to "let the living speak." In the vineyard, observe before acting. In the cellar, work with precision but without excess, so the wine stays honest and true to its Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux terroir.

What food pairs well with Domaine Aline's Merlot ?

Pierre recommends a grilled veal rump with hand-cut chips cooked in South-West duck fat, or a generously marbled entrecôte grilled at the foot of the vines. Honest, unfussy pairings, very much in the spirit of the wine.

Does Domaine Aline produce white wine ?

Not yet. Pierre planted Chardonnay in 2026 and is preparing an elegant, accessible dry white, a first white cuvée on the way, true to his vision of honest, shareable wines.

Why buy Domaine Aline wines through Avenue des Vins ?

On Avenue des Vins, Domaine Aline's wines are available direct from the producer, shipped from Pierre's cellar, full vintage traceability, freshness preserved on delivery and a fair price with no middlemen.