Description
Ever wondered what it takes to turn Saint-Émilion's overlooked neighbours into a destination in their own right? This episode takes us to Château de Lussac, flagship estate of a Bordeaux group that's rebuilding itself château by château, and rethinking what a satellite appellation can be.
We sit down with Anthony Appollot, general manager of Sarments Vignobles, a sixth-generation Saint-Émilion winemaker who spent years as an independent vineyard consultant before assembling the group's four estates in under a decade, to trace how it all came together and where he's taking it next.
Anthony walks us through top-grafting Chenin Blanc onto decades-old Merlot vines, why he's pulling up a third of Lussac's vineyard to plant walnut trees and truffle oaks, and the disease-spotting drone he helped calibrate that kept the group's harvest intact during 2024's brutal mildew year.
Expect an 80-year-old field blend planted after a killer frost, a secret Italian grape variety, and a very candid read on the Bordeaux crisis from someone who's still buying. Tune in!
▬▬ 🎁 GIFTS 🎁 ▬▬
📚 The World Atlas of Wine, by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
🍷 Learn more about the estates:
- Sarments vignobles
- Château de Lussac
- Château de Saint-Pey
- Château Saint-Jean de Lavaud
- Château Vieux Maillet
- Château Cantereau
🤖 Disease-spotting drones: Chouette
🎁 Get your wine essentials on our shop: a curated selection of wine accessories, posters and much more
🗺️ Get the best French Wine Map: as information as decorative
▬▬ ⭐️ ABOUT ⭐️ ▬▬
My name is Antoine, and I’ve been passionate about wine for several years. I knew nothing at first, so I went out to meet the biggest figures in the industry and turned those encounters into a podcast that’s now listened to by over 100,000 people. I now share with you what I’ve learned, and I hope we embark together on a beautiful wine journey to discover the finest experiences.
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