Château Livran

The History of Chateau Livran

Axes dating back to the Bronze Age, as well as the nearby archaeological site of Brion, attest to the very ancient human presence in the region. It was not until November 22, 1280, that Château Livran appeared in the official archives, when Edward of England authorized the brothers of Got to establish their Gascon fiefdom there, then bearing the name Livrano.

The lordship of Livran subsequently reverted to the viscount knight Arnaud Garcie de Got, famous for being the brother of Bertrand, archbishop of Bordeaux, the first Avignon pope in 1305, under the name Clement V.

Afterwards, Château Livran knew various owners, before becoming during the First World War a temporary military hospital. It then became the property of Emile Liquard during the Second World War. After being sold to the Godfrin family, Château Livran was acquired by a Russian investment fund.

In 2013, Château Livran was bought by Olivier Michon and his wife Edwige. They then undertook to restructure the entire estate and give it back its letters of nobility. The vines were replanted and the production tool completely rearranged, including a new cellar built in 2016.

The Château Livran vineyard

The vineyard of Château Livran covers 40 hectares which have been entirely replanted by the current owners of the estate. The grape varieties are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The annual production is 150,000 bottles, divided and equitably between the two wines: Château Livran and Sources de Livran.

The soil is clay-limestone, on an outcrop of limestone rocks. The vines benefit from the climate whose maritime influence brings a good hydration, measured and regular, which allows the grapes to reach maturity in the best conditions and to develop fine natural tannins.

The vineyard is run according to the rules of biodynamics. Chemicals are banned and the vines benefit from natural plant-based treatments, respecting natural cycles. The work of the ground makes it possible to preserve the biodiversity. The calendar of the works of the vineyard is subjected to the respect of the cycles of the vine according to the seasons.

A very sophisticated system, the Vignalex, developed by the Médoc company Souslikoff, allows the treatment of waste water. Phytosanitary and wine waters are sprayed on the crushed vine shoots recovered from the vineyard, whose woody structure acts as a filter. The compost is regularly turned and sprayed, which increases its temperature and eliminates the last pathogenic elements. It takes a few months for this compost to be ready for use in the vineyards, mixed with cow manure from the Secondignac farm.

The wines of Château Livran

Chateau Livran
The first wine is simply called Château Livran, and is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.
It benefits from a 10-year ageing potential.

Livran Sources
The estate's second wine, Sources de Livran, is composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.
Its aging potential is 7 years.