Located in the Médoc in the Saint-Estèphe appellation, Château Petit Bocq, then owned by Francis Souquet, an experienced winemaker and vineyard manager at Château Ducru Beaucaillou, unveiled its first vintage in 1972.
Gaëtan Lagneaux, a doctor practising in Belgium, bought the property in 1993 and devoted all his time, passion and energy to expanding the estate and its infrastructure in order to improve the quality of the wines and make the château a benchmark in the appellation. In 2003, Château Petit Bocq was recognised as a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, and a new label was designed, featuring a ladybird for good luck.
Following Gaëtan Lagneaux's untimely death in 2012, his father Jacques took over the running of the estate, before Adrien, Gaëtan Lagneaux's son, joined in 2016. In 2018, a new team joined Château Petit Bocq.
From 1.30 hectares in 1993, the Château Petit Bocq vineyard has grown to almost 41 hectares today, divided into over 90 plots throughout the Saint-Estèphe appellation. The uniqueness of this vineyard lies in its mosaic of terroirs, superbly reflected in its wines. The vines are 42 years old on average, and are planted at high density (8,333 to 10,000 vines per hectare) on soils that are predominantly gravel (90%), limestone and sand (10%). At the beginning of its history, Château Petit Bocq produced wines with a blend of around 80% Merlot, but the grape varieties have changed and are now made up of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (48%) and Petit Verdot (2%).
Certified Terra Vitis, the vineyards of Château Petit Bocq are managed using integrated viticulture methods, with rigour and limited intervention in line with the estate's environmentally-friendly philosophy. For example, since 2017, prophylactic practices (hand leaf-thinning, thinning) have been used to replace chemical anti-botrytis treatments, and since 2018, the soil has been maintained mechanically and exclusively with organic soil improvers, replacing all weed-killers.
Harvested when fully ripe, the bright grapes reveal their freshness and complexity through plot-by-plot vinification in small temperature-controlled vats and ageing in barrels, combining toasted notes with aromas of mocha, coffee and black fruit.
Vintage after vintage, Château Petit Bocq stands out as one of the finest Médoc wines, renowned for its finesse and balance. These wines have great depth and consistency, and promise to develop well with ageing.
