Château Charmail is a Cru Bourgeois, according to the 1932 classification of the Medoc’s Bourgeois chateaux. Located in St.-Seurin-de-Cadourne, the 55 acres of vineyards overlook the Gironde. Owner Bernard d’Halluin purchased the estate in 2008 from Olivier Sèze, a well-known figure in the Médoc. A trained agronomist, Sèze remains as the estate’s director, and he has a reputation of keeping up the newest viticultural methods and he has turned to such practices as what he calls “pre-fermentation” and “cold maceration” to fine tune the quality of wines. And he has been successful. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Charmail wines “revolutionary in their fruit intensity and richness for Haut-Medoc.” Vineyards are planted to 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. About 120,000 bottles are produced annually.