Producer · Bordeaux, France

Château des Antonins

Château des Antonins is a family estate south-east of Bordeaux, named after the Antonin monks who lived here for 500 years. The de Roquefeuil family have owned it since the 1850s.

Many of the old 13th-century buildings still stand, including a toll bridge, a chapel and windmills. Phylloxera wiped out the vines in the late 1800s, and the family replanted bit by bit. There are now 38 hectares. Geoffroy and Martine took over in 1985 and moved to sustainable farming. Their son Antoine, who learned the ropes in New Zealand, has been head winemaker since 2016.

Most of the land is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon on clay and gravel, giving easy, fruity reds. A smaller patch of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon on sandy soil makes fresh, zesty whites.

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon · £13.49 to £13.99 a bottle