Château Patache d'Aux "Les Chevaux" Médoc

Château Patache d'Aux is a historic Cru Bourgeois estate in the northern Médoc, founded in 1632 by the Chevaliers d'Aux, descendants of the Counts of Armagnac. The evocative name nods to two distinct pieces of history: the 18th-century maritime customs vessels that once patrolled the Gironde estuary, and the horse-drawn stagecoach relay stations where nobility changed horses on long journeys through the region, referenced today in the three horses depicted on the "Les Chevaux" label, symbolizing the three families who shaped the estate over the centuries. Seized during the French Revolution and briefly repurposed as a coaching inn, the property was officially classified Cru Bourgeois in 1932, acquired by the Lapalu family in 1964, and has been under the stewardship of Antoine Moueix Propriétés (part of the respected Advini group) since 2016, bringing renewed investment under technical director Lucie Lauilhé and consulting winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt. The 63-hectare estate sits in Bégadan, in the northern Médoc, just 10 kilometers from the Gironde estuary, with vineyards spread across two distinct terroirs: a 50-hectare parcel on the limestone-rich "Bégadan plateau," and a smaller 13-hectare site on the Saint-Christoly hilltops, planted on alluvial gravel terraces overlooking the estuary itself, the same gravelly, heat-retaining, well-draining soil structure found in Bordeaux's most celebrated classified growths. Les Chevaux is a classic Left Bank blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, led by Cabernet Sauvignon's structure and softened by Merlot's roundness, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot adding further complexity. Expect a deep ruby color and an approachable, fruit-forward profile built around the region's signature cassis, tobacco, and cedar character, framed by firm, age-worthy tannins. It offers genuine, classified-growth-adjacent terroir and Left Bank structure at a fraction of the price of its more famous neighbors, a great entry point into serious Médoc character, and a natural pairing for beef, lamb, poultry, or game.