Château d'Arche- Haut-Médoc

The History of Chateau of Arche

Arche was a viscounty of Turenne in the Lower Limousin, which gave the name to the Arche family, traces of which can be found in 13th century archives. Several of its members held notable positions with the King and his Armies.

In 1611, Etienne d'Arche, the eldest son of Bernard d'Arche, knight and lord of Arche, moved to the Bordeaux region to become a lawyer at the Parliament of Guyenne, as well as a doctor regent at the University of Bordeaux. Passionate about the cultivation of vines, he bought a vineyard, the future Château d'Arche.

His great-grandson, François d'Arche, who inherited his grandfather's passion, enlarged the estate. Unfortunately, during the French Revolution, the Château d'Arche was seized and dismantled to be divided among several families.

In 1855, Château d'Arche - then owned by Mr. Lafaurie - was designated Second Grand Cru of the classified white wines of Gironde.

In 1925, Armand Bastit-Saint-Martin - who was later mayor of Sauternes (from 1934 to 1971) - took over the reins of Château d'Arche. He undertook the reconstruction of the historic estate. Today, Château d'Arche remains one of the most renowned producers of Sauternes wines.

The Château d'Arche vineyard

The vineyard of Château d'Arche covers 70 hectares in AOC Sauternes and AOC Bordeaux. 30 hectares of these vines are adjacent to the property. The vines benefit from the microclimate due to the presence of the Garonne River on one side and the Ciron River which crosses them. When these waters with different temperatures meet at the end of the summer, they form sheets of morning fog that hydrate the vines. The afternoon sun then dries out the fruit, causing their aromas to concentrate.

The soil of Château d'Arche is composed of clay, gravel and silt. The grape variety is made up of 90% Semillon. Its compatibility with the Botrytis Cinerea fungus is specific to the Sauternes appellation and brings this unique taste, particularly concentrated in aromas of exotic and candied fruits. The remaining 10% of the blend mixes Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.

Château d'Arche has the HVE (High Environmental Value) level 3 label, as well as ISO 14001 certification. 10 hectares are ploughed with a draught horse. Harvesting is done by hand, as well as the four to five sortings necessary to optimize the concentration of aromas by selecting only the fully botrytized berries.

The wines of Château d'Arche

Château d'Arche relies on a small production, in order to emphasize quality. The production of Sauternes is deliberately limited to be one of the lowest profitability in the world.

The range of Château d'Arche wines offers various vintages:
Château d'Arche;
Arche Lafaurie;
Pearl of Arche;
Padouen Castle;
"A" Château d'Arche White;
"A" Château d'Arche Rosé;
Arche Perlée.