This blog, started in 2016, gives you the news of the wine estate with a particular focus on the key steps of our choices to implement the bio-logical dynamic.
In summary, these are mainly agro-ecological practices, such as hedges or green cover between rows, intended to make the soil alive, promote biodiversity, and thus improve the resistance of the vine to diseases.
In addition, since 2017, we have made the choice of agroforestry, that is to say that we systematically design our new vineyard plantations in such a way that there are trees planted in the middle and at the edges of the plots.
The tree is indeed nourishing for the soil. It acts favourably on biodiversity and contributes indirectly to the fight against some diseases of the vine, in particular by offering bats, these “anti-pesticide allies”, benchmarks to enlarge their field of action.
We also see agroforestry as a choice for the future in front of global warming. Indeed, faced with climatic excesses, the tree acts as regulator.
Jean-Baptiste explains how to care for young grapevines.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Ty4zy5w59cM?si=yuqMh2xAYtwTsPc-
They are very small and fragile.
Yet they represent the future of the vineyard.
It is therefore important to clear the area around them so they aren’t smothered by weeds that escaped the plow.
These young vines are also highly vulnerable to snails, which feast on their buds.
Removing the weeds means removing the snails hiding among them.
A vineyard is like a huge vegetable garden where you have to take care of every single plant!
https://youtube.com/shorts/Jsq0RHLZVjA?si=6afvpJdyZ4JXQzAB
Pri checks each vine one by one to make sure it is securely tied to the trellis wire.
If the ties from previous years have come loose,
the vine must be re-tied.
This step is called tying.
It takes place right now, after pruning and bending the vines.
Like bending, tying is important for the quality of the trellising, which allows for better ripening of the grapes and easier passage of tractors.
https://youtube.com/shorts/3PvHYADsxP4?si=0YBDsr03ZQ-uyV2D Jean-Baptiste explains the importance of bending the vines, a key step in training the vineyard.
By bending the vines and securing them to the wires, the grapes can spread out, allowing them to ripen more fully.
Trellising also helps to manage the vines and leaves space for tractors to pass through.
Bending takes place after pruning.
We’re right in the middle of it and we’re working quickly because the buds are growing and becoming more fragile.
The goal is to bend the vines without causing them to fall…
https://youtube.com/shorts/wYRtiQviQmA?si=M1L7KZE4ZKHV0Os6
Lucie vous explique la taille des vignes pas à pas.
Nous sommes en effet dans les derniers jours de cette étape fondamentale pour la structure du vignoble et la qualité de la récolte à venir.
Here are the labels for our new vintages!
3 wines, 3 colors
“Dans les arbres” (In the Trees), a reference to the agroforestry practices that characterize our vineyard
The birds, so numerous at Anthonic, inspired Pierre-Louis Cordonnier, our Picor artist, who designed these labels.
For the “Rosé dans les arbres,” our very pale, delicate, and elegant rosé, he chose the plover, a small bird found on the beaches of the Médoc, where this wine is so enjoyable to drink, for example.
Here are the labels for our new vintages!
3 wines, 3 colors
“Dans les arbres” (In the Trees), a reference to the agroforestry practices that define our vineyard
The birds, so numerous in Anthonic, inspired Pierre-Louis Cordonnier, our Picor artist, who designed these labels.
For “Blanc dans les arbres,” our white wine made from the Bouysselet grape variety—which shows such promise on our terroirs—he chose to depict the white harrier.
This is a small bird of prey that has joined the long list of raptors present in Anthonic since the spring of 2024—precisely the time when we grafted a plot of Merlot with the Bouysselet grape variety.
To meet evolving consumer expectations, our new wine range comes in three varieties:
“Le blanc dans les arbres,”
made from the rare Bouysselet grape variety, which we are introducing for the first time in the Bordeaux region and which is proving extremely promising on our clay-limestone soils;
“Le rouge dans les arbres,”
a fresh, fruity, and delicious red, aged in amphorae;
“Le rosé dans les arbres,”
an idea conceived by a member of our team when he saw the fresco adorning the fermentation room. Francesco suggested we capture one of the shades of pink from the fresco in a wine. The result is a very refined, delicious, and indulgent rosé.
Château Anthonic is indeed characterized by numerous works of art in its buildings, as Pierre-Louis Cordonnier, one of the estate’s sons, is a Médoc artist known by the name Picor.
Picor designs all the labels for our estate’s wines.
He depicts birds because they are his passion and because there have always been many at Anthonic—now more than ever, thanks to the biodiversity fostered by agroforestry.
For “Le rouge dans les arbres,” Picor chose to depict a hoopoe, a long-time resident of Anthonic;
For “Le blanc dans les arbres,” it is a white-tailed eagle, a small bird of prey that appeared in our vineyards two years ago, just as we were beginning the grafting of the Bouysselet;
A plover was illustrated as a nod to the beaches of the Médoc for “Le rosé dans les arbres.”
The name “dans les arbres” refers to agroforestry (trees and hedges in the vineyards), an agroecological model that characterizes our vineyard, which is also managed using organic viticulture.
These three new, innovative, and creative wines are marketed as Vin de France.
Just look at all the nests in the hedgerows (6 km) that crisscross our vineyard!
Agroforestry isn’t just beautiful.
It’s good for biodiversity!
The birds, so numerous at Anthonic, find food, shelter, and a safe haven for their young here.
The hedgerows also serve as ecological habitats and passageways (from one wooded area to another) for many other animals (reptiles, small rodents, insects, etc.).
It certainly means extra work (pruning and maintaining the hedgerows), but we have no regrets!
Photos: Nathalie Coipel
Hedges + Vineyards = The Joys of Agroforestry
6 km of hedges in our vineyards—great for biodiversity! https://youtube.com/shorts/gNLHDuvF6L4?si=zt-ZAcoVvKD6V9zJ
Because hedgerows are ecological havens (providing food and breeding grounds)
and form sheltered passageways between wooded areas.
They are therefore highly appreciated by animals of all kinds,
including this pheasant cock, likely a survivor of the early hunting season releases, who found shelter there…
Jean-Baptiste, his sons Théophile & Pierre-Louis, and the entire team
at Châteaux Anthonic and Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux
wish you a 2026
filled with smiles and fine wines!
We will continue to devote our energy
to our wonderful wine-growing and environmental project (agroforestry)
to offer you fine wines
for moments of sharing and laughter with your loved ones.
Mural by artists @bellodesorden and @picor_art
Sofia, Jean-Baptiste, and Francesco are delighted to present their “baby” wines:
“Le rouge dans les arbres” (Red in the Trees), created by Sofia, our cellar master, is a pure Merlot made using natural methods, vinified with indigenous yeasts and no added sulfites.
“Le blanc dans les arbres” (The white in the trees), an idea from Jean-Baptiste. Produced with the Bouysselet grape variety, a rare variety that we are introducing to the Bordeaux region.
“Le rosé dans les arbres” (The rosé in the trees), an initiative by Francesco, who came up with the idea when he saw the roses in the “Athena” fresco created in the vat room by artists @lileeimperator and @picor_art.
These are three experimental vintages, still in very limited quantities.
This work by Antonio and Toumany is fundamental: preparing the holes for planting the vines at Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux. https://youtube.com/shorts/wSFcYQ28p9s?si=uRrdrVJwJLaKBrFm
Where there are gaps in the vineyard, new vines will need to be planted in the spring. This is called “replanting.”
For now, Antonio guides the tractor with one hand and the auger that drills the holes with the other.
Toumany mixes organic fertilizer with compost to enrich the soil where the vines will be planted.
Antonio gives another twist of the auger to push the mixture into the hole. Toumany plants the stake for the future vine.
Under the greedy gaze of the happy earthworms that the holes bring to the surface????...
This is essential work for the maintenance of the vineyard.
Photo & Video: Nathalie Coipel
Francesco and Pierre-Louis installed the new barrels to hold the 2025 vintage. https://youtube.com/shorts/1U591A16NX8?si=O9b8_zplRhbU2z8V
Aligning the barrels is precision work because with three layers of 225-liter barrels, it is essential that they do not roll onto the floor!
Photo & Video: Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/fK3kzkt98XY?si=i221A7QgQFjwu3wr
Vidéo & Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Watch this short video summarizing the atmosphere in the cellar for our amazing team (Sofia, Franceso, and Pierre-Louis)! https://youtube.com/shorts/X6LGKJVvnHI?si=CHc-FjLpjBuUkzAc
We are fortunate to have a vat room decorated with frescoes by artists @lileeimperator and @picor_art.
In the barrel and amphora cellar, the same @picor_art painted a fresco with artist @bellodesorden.
An artistic environment that gives birth to exceptional wines.
It's worth noting that the artist Picor is none other than Pierre-Louis, who has been involved in our winemaking for several years.
Photos: Nathalie Coipel
Our “white wine in the trees” is aged on lees, which Francesco stirs every two days.
Bâtonnage involves stirring the fine lees suspended in the wine. See the video https://youtube.com/shorts/cR_f63Z_2Ik?si=tVVmAozP2j7EtkqP
These lees consist of dead yeast and other solid particles from fermentation.
Stirring improves the smoothness of the wine and increases its aromatic complexity, which we feel is ideal for our wine made from the Bouysselet grape variety, a grape variety used to make great white wines.
Video : Nathalie Coipel
Francesco, Pierre-Louis, and Sofia at the pressing stage, an important step in winemaking. (details in video: https://youtube.com/shorts/GJeZn5hWJNM?si=csKVXVD5q-JaGhyo )
Once the vats have been drained to obtain the “free-run wine,” the pomace remaining at the bottom of the vats still has a lot to offer us.
This mixture of skins saturated with must is pressed to obtain the “press wine” (see video).
We then adopt the method of our oenologist Eric Boissenot.
This means that we store the press wines in barrels, i.e. small containers, carefully separating the presses from each vat and, for each vat, the press wine from the first pressing and that from the second pressing (more concentrated).
This leaves us with a huge number of different batches.
These highly concentrated “press wines” will be blended with the “free-run wines” to create our 2025 wine.
Having many batches of “press wine” will therefore allow us to work with great finesse in creating the blends.
Vidéo: Nathalie Coipel
The harvest is over, but the winemaking isn't!
Tasting with our oenologist Emilio de Longhi of all our batches: reds, reds with indigenous yeasts, whites, and rosés.
A beautiful range.
First impressions of the 2025 vintage?
Low yields but very promising quality.
Concentration, acidity, intense colors, and very lively, complex aromas...
Nature and the team have done a great job!
Thank you to everyone, in the vineyard and in the cellar!
Thanks to you, the harvest was carried out in a cheerful and efficient manner (everything was completed in 11 days).
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
This is the story of a rosé inspired by a mural.
Francesco has been working with us for a few weeks now, in our wine cellar adorned with a mural by artists Picor and Lilee Imperator.
On Monday, he suggested we make rosé, pointing to the shade of pink he wanted on the mural.
“Ok Francesco!”
Francesco has made some very good rosés at Frescobaldi in Tuscany, and we have complete confidence in him.
Today, we have the first images of the grape juice for the rosé.
It was put into new wooden barrels this morning, where it will begin its alcoholic fermentation.
We are delighted with this new project.
Between two harvests, our artist Picor is already thinking about the future label for the rosé.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
How is white wine made?
All the steps are shown in this video about Château Anthonic's first white wine!
https://youtube.com/shorts/cgkFmyeRVak?si=WrIxmq8D6orj5O8L
Produced with Bouysselet grapes harvested this weekend.
This wine will be called “blanc dans les arbres” (white in the trees) in reference to our agroforestry vineyards (trees in the vineyards).
A wonderful adventure begins!
Video: Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/Q_Us7ZXgk-E?si=HOQbJhlOxCElMuon
Vidéo: Nathalie Coipel
This is Sofia, our cellar master, racking an amphora where she is experimenting with alcoholic fermentation using indigenous yeasts.
The idea is to allow alcoholic fermentation to take place without adding any external yeasts, using only those naturally present on the grapes.
Two amphorae have already started spontaneous fermentation.
The idea is to then use this must, rich in indigenous yeasts, to inoculate a large vat.
The other vats will be vinified with controlled yeasts, as we usually do.
We will be able to compare the two options and see whether relying on indigenous yeasts is a technically reliable and organoleptically interesting choice.
Of course, amphorae are not equipped with temperature control like tanks.
So we covered them with old cloths to keep the inside warm.
The daily pumping over (aeration) of the fermenting must cannot be done with pumps either, but only by punching down, which is what Sofia is doing in the photo.
Admire the fresco by artists Picor and Mosh.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Here is our fantastic cellar team, ready to take care of YOUR 2025 wines!
Sofia, our cellar master, is always calm and organized.
She is passionate about this year's new challenges, which we will tell you more about later.
On the right is Francesco, who has come to help us out until Christmas. He has already made a lot of wine, notably in New Zealand and in Tuscany at Frescobaldi.
His experience with white wines will be useful for our “white in the trees.”
On the left, Pierre-Louis, our artist @picor_art who painted the fresco in the photo, is starting his third consecutive wine-making season.
His mechanical skills are also invaluable, for example in maintaining the grape sorting machines.
A lot of work but a lot of good humor—it's the ideal combination! Thank you.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Florian Laplanche, a member of our team, won the Médoc marathon today!!!
And our Château Anthonic team came first in the château rankings!!
Rose-Marie Stourm also came first (MO category) for Château Anthonic.
Théophile also took part and achieved a very good time.
The Médoc Marathon is run through the vineyards in costume. With the theme “the sea,” Théophile was Poseidon.
Florian, the winner, came in second last year for Château Villegeorges, which did not participate this year.
Thank you and congratulations to all the wonderful members of our team.
Admire Théophile's technique for waxing the double magnums of Château Anthonic 2023!
https://youtube.com/shorts/rckz64smlzc?feature=shared
Philomène shows you the bloom, the waxy, powdery coating that covers the grapes.
Like sebum in humans, it protects the grapes from external elements (parasites, light, humidity, etc.).
As you can see, the 2025 vintage is looking very promising.
Veraison (the change in color) is almost complete.
The berries are superb!
Rainbow grapes... the vine is an artist!
It's veraison, the moment when the berries change color. Here, Merlot.
The weather is good. Sunny but not too hot.
Veraison will be able to take place evenly, a guarantee of quality.
In short, we continue to rejoice: the 2025 vintage is shaping up to be the best!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FVkmNlTsuZw?feature=shared
Jean-Yves, our vineyard manager, shows you the Bouysselet plot.
Bouysselet is a little-known white grape variety that we have grafted onto a plot of Merlot.
This year, we will be making our first white wine, called “white in the trees” in reference to our agroforestry project
https://youtube.com/shorts/0IYgEa-3Jfc?feature=shared
Flowers and vines!
Jean-Yves, our head gardener, is a poet!
He planted flowers on either side of the driveway to welcome you to Château Anthonic.
Thank you, Jean-Yves.
BOUYSSELET is a little-known grape variety that we will be harvesting this year for our first white wine, which will be called “le blanc dans les arbres” (white wine in the trees).
Listen to the amazing story of Bouysselet.
This grape variety, which originated in the Villaudric vineyard (in the Fronton AOC) and was first mentioned in 1805, had practically disappeared.
But it was rediscovered in 2008 by Diane and Philippe Cauvin, owners of @lacolombiere.vins, at their neighbors', the Brousse family.
There were only a few vines, probably pre-phylloxera, which had always been cultivated by this family.
The Cauvins grafted some of them onto their estate and observed the high quality potential of this grape variety.
Since then, the relationship between Bouysselet and Savagnin, the king of Jura grape varieties, has been established.
However, its production remains very limited, concentrated in the Fronton vineyard.
We are therefore very happy to introduce it to Bordeaux,
paying tribute to Villaudric, its terroir of origin.
Woods in the middle of vineyards, asset for biodiversity and for our agroforestry project!
We’re lucky enough to have a vineyard that’s practically in one piece: 2/3 of the plots are located around the house.
To be more precise, we’re talking about two islands of vines, separated by a wooded area in which we own a 10-hectare strip.
Our vines and these 10 hectares of woodland represent a continuous area of almost 30 hectares.
Our woods have been under free evolution (without human intervention) since 1977, the year my father Pierre Cordonnier bought Anthonic.
This wood, which also contains a stream and a wetland, is therefore a formidable reserve of biodiversity.
We have deployed our agroforestry project in the vineyards surrounding the wood.
In concrete terms, the 5 km of hedges and trees planted in the vineyards (agroforestry) provide refuge and passage for the rich fauna found in these woods.
The presence of this wood at the heart of our vineyard therefore acts as an effective lever for the agroforestry configuration of our vineyard.
Delicate lifting of the Bouysselet overgrafted today.
Bouysselet is the grape variety with which we'll be making our “white in the trees” wine this year.
Philippe lifts the wires in this plot where we have grafted Merlot plants into Bouysselet.
This is a delicate job, as the branch born from last year's grafting is still fragile.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
A lesser-known but essential step: raising the vine’s wires.
As the vines grow, they need to be trellised to allow tractors to pass and to improve berry ripening.
Trellising consists of a fixed wire at the top, a fixed wire at the bottom and two movable wires.
During the current lifting operation (on the pictures Sofia & Fito), the two movable wires are raised to hold the vine branches together.
These wires are then attached to the stakes in the row.
And, as Sofia is doing in the 1st photo, a staple is placed to bring the two wires together.
In photo 3, you can see that Sofia takes the opportunity to attach the young vines, too small to reach the trellising wires, to their stakes.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
A story of flowers and leaves...
This year, with the nights still cool, the vine is growing slowly. It doesn't have many leaves yet.
This is good news for the flowering, which is in full swing.
Why is this so?
Because the flowers are not surrounded by too many leaves.
The result is good ventilation and low hygrometry, factors that favor flowering in optimal conditions.
This is the personal, empirical analysis of a winegrower who is delighted that nature has given him extra time to keep up to date with his work.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Art & wine ... what better way to work than in an artistic atmosphere?
Sofia & Lucia rack our wines under the knowing gaze of the characters in the fresco created by artists Mosh & Picor.
After removing the lees from the bottom of the barrels and amphorae and cleaning them, they refill them with our wines, vintage 2024.
It's a big job, requiring a lot of precision. Thanks a lot!
Photo gallery: Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/rg9IrOp3yi8?feature=shared
Italian atmosphere for the racking of our wines, vintage 2024, by Lucia and Sofia, our cellar master!
Video : Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/BFJ_jLlVna0?feature=shared
Agroforestry and biodiversity!
https://youtube.com/shorts/rHPyOHtLsrg?feature=shared
A “dorlotoir” for bees already squatted by spiders!
As part of its studies on biodiversity in our plots, the Chambre d'Agriculture has also installed shelters for wild bees.
The shelters were installed in a plot of organic vines and in another plot of organic agroforestry (hedges and trees in the vines).
A week after installing these 2 shelters, the one in the agroforestry plot is already occupied by spiders, while the other is still empty.
Video: Nathalie Coipel
The Chamber of Agriculture is interested in biodiversity on the plots of Château Anthonic, an organic winegrowing estate, and more specifically in the practical impact of agroforestry.
The first yellow bin was placed on a “normal” organic plot.
The second tray was placed next to agroforestry vines: hedges at the edge of the plot and trees in the plot.
The idea is to see if agroforestry has an impact on the insects observed.
We don't yet have the official conclusions from the Chamber of Agriculture.
But at first sight, there are many insects in the 2 plots, but with a greater diversity in the agroforestry plot.
Yesterday, we dug 1.5 m-deep soil pits to learn more about our terroirs.
Here we show you the 12 holes dug in a 1.1 hectare plot of our Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux.
These pits show the presence of iron and limestone favorable to vines.
There are also deep gravels (the ones Lucie is holding in her hands) and clay, which provides insurance against drought.
The combination of gravel and clay gives a complex body to the wines.
Conclusion: this parcel is a great terroir for planting Cabernet-Sauvignon.
Fun fact: this parcel is called ‘Maleterre’, which literally means ‘bad soil’.
Maybe for cereals, but not for vines!
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/l9MEb4mxJ5c
Video: Nathalie Coipel
This blog, started in 2016, gives you the news of the wine estate with a particular focus on the key steps of our choices to implement the bio-logical dynamic.
In summary, these are mainly agro-ecological practices, such as hedges or green cover between rows, intended to make the soil alive, promote biodiversity, and thus improve the resistance of the vine to diseases.
In addition, since 2017, we have made the choice of agroforestry, that is to say that we systematically design our new vineyard plantations in such a way that there are trees planted in the middle and at the edges of the plots.
The tree is indeed nourishing for the soil. It acts favourably on biodiversity and contributes indirectly to the fight against some diseases of the vine, in particular by offering bats, these “anti-pesticide allies”, benchmarks to enlarge their field of action.
We also see agroforestry as a choice for the future in front of global warming. Indeed, faced with climatic excesses, the tree acts as regulator.
Jean-Baptiste explains how to care for young grapevines.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Ty4zy5w59cM?si=yuqMh2xAYtwTsPc-
They are very small and fragile.
Yet they represent the future of the vineyard.
It is therefore important to clear the area around them so they aren’t smothered by weeds that escaped the plow.
These young vines are also highly vulnerable to snails, which feast on their buds.
Removing the weeds means removing the snails hiding among them.
A vineyard is like a huge vegetable garden where you have to take care of every single plant!
https://youtube.com/shorts/Jsq0RHLZVjA?si=6afvpJdyZ4JXQzAB
Pri checks each vine one by one to make sure it is securely tied to the trellis wire.
If the ties from previous years have come loose,
the vine must be re-tied.
This step is called tying.
It takes place right now, after pruning and bending the vines.
Like bending, tying is important for the quality of the trellising, which allows for better ripening of the grapes and easier passage of tractors.
https://youtube.com/shorts/3PvHYADsxP4?si=0YBDsr03ZQ-uyV2D Jean-Baptiste explains the importance of bending the vines, a key step in training the vineyard.
By bending the vines and securing them to the wires, the grapes can spread out, allowing them to ripen more fully.
Trellising also helps to manage the vines and leaves space for tractors to pass through.
Bending takes place after pruning.
We’re right in the middle of it and we’re working quickly because the buds are growing and becoming more fragile.
The goal is to bend the vines without causing them to fall…
https://youtube.com/shorts/wYRtiQviQmA?si=M1L7KZE4ZKHV0Os6
Lucie vous explique la taille des vignes pas à pas.
Nous sommes en effet dans les derniers jours de cette étape fondamentale pour la structure du vignoble et la qualité de la récolte à venir.
Here are the labels for our new vintages!
3 wines, 3 colors
“Dans les arbres” (In the Trees), a reference to the agroforestry practices that characterize our vineyard
The birds, so numerous at Anthonic, inspired Pierre-Louis Cordonnier, our Picor artist, who designed these labels.
For the “Rosé dans les arbres,” our very pale, delicate, and elegant rosé, he chose the plover, a small bird found on the beaches of the Médoc, where this wine is so enjoyable to drink, for example.
Here are the labels for our new vintages!
3 wines, 3 colors
“Dans les arbres” (In the Trees), a reference to the agroforestry practices that define our vineyard
The birds, so numerous in Anthonic, inspired Pierre-Louis Cordonnier, our Picor artist, who designed these labels.
For “Blanc dans les arbres,” our white wine made from the Bouysselet grape variety—which shows such promise on our terroirs—he chose to depict the white harrier.
This is a small bird of prey that has joined the long list of raptors present in Anthonic since the spring of 2024—precisely the time when we grafted a plot of Merlot with the Bouysselet grape variety.
To meet evolving consumer expectations, our new wine range comes in three varieties:
“Le blanc dans les arbres,”
made from the rare Bouysselet grape variety, which we are introducing for the first time in the Bordeaux region and which is proving extremely promising on our clay-limestone soils;
“Le rouge dans les arbres,”
a fresh, fruity, and delicious red, aged in amphorae;
“Le rosé dans les arbres,”
an idea conceived by a member of our team when he saw the fresco adorning the fermentation room. Francesco suggested we capture one of the shades of pink from the fresco in a wine. The result is a very refined, delicious, and indulgent rosé.
Château Anthonic is indeed characterized by numerous works of art in its buildings, as Pierre-Louis Cordonnier, one of the estate’s sons, is a Médoc artist known by the name Picor.
Picor designs all the labels for our estate’s wines.
He depicts birds because they are his passion and because there have always been many at Anthonic—now more than ever, thanks to the biodiversity fostered by agroforestry.
For “Le rouge dans les arbres,” Picor chose to depict a hoopoe, a long-time resident of Anthonic;
For “Le blanc dans les arbres,” it is a white-tailed eagle, a small bird of prey that appeared in our vineyards two years ago, just as we were beginning the grafting of the Bouysselet;
A plover was illustrated as a nod to the beaches of the Médoc for “Le rosé dans les arbres.”
The name “dans les arbres” refers to agroforestry (trees and hedges in the vineyards), an agroecological model that characterizes our vineyard, which is also managed using organic viticulture.
These three new, innovative, and creative wines are marketed as Vin de France.
Just look at all the nests in the hedgerows (6 km) that crisscross our vineyard!
Agroforestry isn’t just beautiful.
It’s good for biodiversity!
The birds, so numerous at Anthonic, find food, shelter, and a safe haven for their young here.
The hedgerows also serve as ecological habitats and passageways (from one wooded area to another) for many other animals (reptiles, small rodents, insects, etc.).
It certainly means extra work (pruning and maintaining the hedgerows), but we have no regrets!
Photos: Nathalie Coipel
Hedges + Vineyards = The Joys of Agroforestry
6 km of hedges in our vineyards—great for biodiversity! https://youtube.com/shorts/gNLHDuvF6L4?si=zt-ZAcoVvKD6V9zJ
Because hedgerows are ecological havens (providing food and breeding grounds)
and form sheltered passageways between wooded areas.
They are therefore highly appreciated by animals of all kinds,
including this pheasant cock, likely a survivor of the early hunting season releases, who found shelter there…
Jean-Baptiste, his sons Théophile & Pierre-Louis, and the entire team
at Châteaux Anthonic and Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux
wish you a 2026
filled with smiles and fine wines!
We will continue to devote our energy
to our wonderful wine-growing and environmental project (agroforestry)
to offer you fine wines
for moments of sharing and laughter with your loved ones.
Mural by artists @bellodesorden and @picor_art
Sofia, Jean-Baptiste, and Francesco are delighted to present their “baby” wines:
“Le rouge dans les arbres” (Red in the Trees), created by Sofia, our cellar master, is a pure Merlot made using natural methods, vinified with indigenous yeasts and no added sulfites.
“Le blanc dans les arbres” (The white in the trees), an idea from Jean-Baptiste. Produced with the Bouysselet grape variety, a rare variety that we are introducing to the Bordeaux region.
“Le rosé dans les arbres” (The rosé in the trees), an initiative by Francesco, who came up with the idea when he saw the roses in the “Athena” fresco created in the vat room by artists @lileeimperator and @picor_art.
These are three experimental vintages, still in very limited quantities.
This work by Antonio and Toumany is fundamental: preparing the holes for planting the vines at Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux. https://youtube.com/shorts/wSFcYQ28p9s?si=uRrdrVJwJLaKBrFm
Where there are gaps in the vineyard, new vines will need to be planted in the spring. This is called “replanting.”
For now, Antonio guides the tractor with one hand and the auger that drills the holes with the other.
Toumany mixes organic fertilizer with compost to enrich the soil where the vines will be planted.
Antonio gives another twist of the auger to push the mixture into the hole. Toumany plants the stake for the future vine.
Under the greedy gaze of the happy earthworms that the holes bring to the surface????...
This is essential work for the maintenance of the vineyard.
Photo & Video: Nathalie Coipel
Francesco and Pierre-Louis installed the new barrels to hold the 2025 vintage. https://youtube.com/shorts/1U591A16NX8?si=O9b8_zplRhbU2z8V
Aligning the barrels is precision work because with three layers of 225-liter barrels, it is essential that they do not roll onto the floor!
Photo & Video: Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/fK3kzkt98XY?si=i221A7QgQFjwu3wr
Vidéo & Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Watch this short video summarizing the atmosphere in the cellar for our amazing team (Sofia, Franceso, and Pierre-Louis)! https://youtube.com/shorts/X6LGKJVvnHI?si=CHc-FjLpjBuUkzAc
We are fortunate to have a vat room decorated with frescoes by artists @lileeimperator and @picor_art.
In the barrel and amphora cellar, the same @picor_art painted a fresco with artist @bellodesorden.
An artistic environment that gives birth to exceptional wines.
It's worth noting that the artist Picor is none other than Pierre-Louis, who has been involved in our winemaking for several years.
Photos: Nathalie Coipel
Our “white wine in the trees” is aged on lees, which Francesco stirs every two days.
Bâtonnage involves stirring the fine lees suspended in the wine. See the video https://youtube.com/shorts/cR_f63Z_2Ik?si=tVVmAozP2j7EtkqP
These lees consist of dead yeast and other solid particles from fermentation.
Stirring improves the smoothness of the wine and increases its aromatic complexity, which we feel is ideal for our wine made from the Bouysselet grape variety, a grape variety used to make great white wines.
Video : Nathalie Coipel
Francesco, Pierre-Louis, and Sofia at the pressing stage, an important step in winemaking. (details in video: https://youtube.com/shorts/GJeZn5hWJNM?si=csKVXVD5q-JaGhyo )
Once the vats have been drained to obtain the “free-run wine,” the pomace remaining at the bottom of the vats still has a lot to offer us.
This mixture of skins saturated with must is pressed to obtain the “press wine” (see video).
We then adopt the method of our oenologist Eric Boissenot.
This means that we store the press wines in barrels, i.e. small containers, carefully separating the presses from each vat and, for each vat, the press wine from the first pressing and that from the second pressing (more concentrated).
This leaves us with a huge number of different batches.
These highly concentrated “press wines” will be blended with the “free-run wines” to create our 2025 wine.
Having many batches of “press wine” will therefore allow us to work with great finesse in creating the blends.
Vidéo: Nathalie Coipel
The harvest is over, but the winemaking isn't!
Tasting with our oenologist Emilio de Longhi of all our batches: reds, reds with indigenous yeasts, whites, and rosés.
A beautiful range.
First impressions of the 2025 vintage?
Low yields but very promising quality.
Concentration, acidity, intense colors, and very lively, complex aromas...
Nature and the team have done a great job!
Thank you to everyone, in the vineyard and in the cellar!
Thanks to you, the harvest was carried out in a cheerful and efficient manner (everything was completed in 11 days).
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
This is the story of a rosé inspired by a mural.
Francesco has been working with us for a few weeks now, in our wine cellar adorned with a mural by artists Picor and Lilee Imperator.
On Monday, he suggested we make rosé, pointing to the shade of pink he wanted on the mural.
“Ok Francesco!”
Francesco has made some very good rosés at Frescobaldi in Tuscany, and we have complete confidence in him.
Today, we have the first images of the grape juice for the rosé.
It was put into new wooden barrels this morning, where it will begin its alcoholic fermentation.
We are delighted with this new project.
Between two harvests, our artist Picor is already thinking about the future label for the rosé.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
How is white wine made?
All the steps are shown in this video about Château Anthonic's first white wine!
https://youtube.com/shorts/cgkFmyeRVak?si=WrIxmq8D6orj5O8L
Produced with Bouysselet grapes harvested this weekend.
This wine will be called “blanc dans les arbres” (white in the trees) in reference to our agroforestry vineyards (trees in the vineyards).
A wonderful adventure begins!
Video: Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/Q_Us7ZXgk-E?si=HOQbJhlOxCElMuon
Vidéo: Nathalie Coipel
This is Sofia, our cellar master, racking an amphora where she is experimenting with alcoholic fermentation using indigenous yeasts.
The idea is to allow alcoholic fermentation to take place without adding any external yeasts, using only those naturally present on the grapes.
Two amphorae have already started spontaneous fermentation.
The idea is to then use this must, rich in indigenous yeasts, to inoculate a large vat.
The other vats will be vinified with controlled yeasts, as we usually do.
We will be able to compare the two options and see whether relying on indigenous yeasts is a technically reliable and organoleptically interesting choice.
Of course, amphorae are not equipped with temperature control like tanks.
So we covered them with old cloths to keep the inside warm.
The daily pumping over (aeration) of the fermenting must cannot be done with pumps either, but only by punching down, which is what Sofia is doing in the photo.
Admire the fresco by artists Picor and Mosh.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Here is our fantastic cellar team, ready to take care of YOUR 2025 wines!
Sofia, our cellar master, is always calm and organized.
She is passionate about this year's new challenges, which we will tell you more about later.
On the right is Francesco, who has come to help us out until Christmas. He has already made a lot of wine, notably in New Zealand and in Tuscany at Frescobaldi.
His experience with white wines will be useful for our “white in the trees.”
On the left, Pierre-Louis, our artist @picor_art who painted the fresco in the photo, is starting his third consecutive wine-making season.
His mechanical skills are also invaluable, for example in maintaining the grape sorting machines.
A lot of work but a lot of good humor—it's the ideal combination! Thank you.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Florian Laplanche, a member of our team, won the Médoc marathon today!!!
And our Château Anthonic team came first in the château rankings!!
Rose-Marie Stourm also came first (MO category) for Château Anthonic.
Théophile also took part and achieved a very good time.
The Médoc Marathon is run through the vineyards in costume. With the theme “the sea,” Théophile was Poseidon.
Florian, the winner, came in second last year for Château Villegeorges, which did not participate this year.
Thank you and congratulations to all the wonderful members of our team.
Admire Théophile's technique for waxing the double magnums of Château Anthonic 2023!
https://youtube.com/shorts/rckz64smlzc?feature=shared
Philomène shows you the bloom, the waxy, powdery coating that covers the grapes.
Like sebum in humans, it protects the grapes from external elements (parasites, light, humidity, etc.).
As you can see, the 2025 vintage is looking very promising.
Veraison (the change in color) is almost complete.
The berries are superb!
Rainbow grapes... the vine is an artist!
It's veraison, the moment when the berries change color. Here, Merlot.
The weather is good. Sunny but not too hot.
Veraison will be able to take place evenly, a guarantee of quality.
In short, we continue to rejoice: the 2025 vintage is shaping up to be the best!
https://youtube.com/shorts/FVkmNlTsuZw?feature=shared
Jean-Yves, our vineyard manager, shows you the Bouysselet plot.
Bouysselet is a little-known white grape variety that we have grafted onto a plot of Merlot.
This year, we will be making our first white wine, called “white in the trees” in reference to our agroforestry project
https://youtube.com/shorts/0IYgEa-3Jfc?feature=shared
Flowers and vines!
Jean-Yves, our head gardener, is a poet!
He planted flowers on either side of the driveway to welcome you to Château Anthonic.
Thank you, Jean-Yves.
BOUYSSELET is a little-known grape variety that we will be harvesting this year for our first white wine, which will be called “le blanc dans les arbres” (white wine in the trees).
Listen to the amazing story of Bouysselet.
This grape variety, which originated in the Villaudric vineyard (in the Fronton AOC) and was first mentioned in 1805, had practically disappeared.
But it was rediscovered in 2008 by Diane and Philippe Cauvin, owners of @lacolombiere.vins, at their neighbors', the Brousse family.
There were only a few vines, probably pre-phylloxera, which had always been cultivated by this family.
The Cauvins grafted some of them onto their estate and observed the high quality potential of this grape variety.
Since then, the relationship between Bouysselet and Savagnin, the king of Jura grape varieties, has been established.
However, its production remains very limited, concentrated in the Fronton vineyard.
We are therefore very happy to introduce it to Bordeaux,
paying tribute to Villaudric, its terroir of origin.
Woods in the middle of vineyards, asset for biodiversity and for our agroforestry project!
We’re lucky enough to have a vineyard that’s practically in one piece: 2/3 of the plots are located around the house.
To be more precise, we’re talking about two islands of vines, separated by a wooded area in which we own a 10-hectare strip.
Our vines and these 10 hectares of woodland represent a continuous area of almost 30 hectares.
Our woods have been under free evolution (without human intervention) since 1977, the year my father Pierre Cordonnier bought Anthonic.
This wood, which also contains a stream and a wetland, is therefore a formidable reserve of biodiversity.
We have deployed our agroforestry project in the vineyards surrounding the wood.
In concrete terms, the 5 km of hedges and trees planted in the vineyards (agroforestry) provide refuge and passage for the rich fauna found in these woods.
The presence of this wood at the heart of our vineyard therefore acts as an effective lever for the agroforestry configuration of our vineyard.
Delicate lifting of the Bouysselet overgrafted today.
Bouysselet is the grape variety with which we'll be making our “white in the trees” wine this year.
Philippe lifts the wires in this plot where we have grafted Merlot plants into Bouysselet.
This is a delicate job, as the branch born from last year's grafting is still fragile.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
A lesser-known but essential step: raising the vine’s wires.
As the vines grow, they need to be trellised to allow tractors to pass and to improve berry ripening.
Trellising consists of a fixed wire at the top, a fixed wire at the bottom and two movable wires.
During the current lifting operation (on the pictures Sofia & Fito), the two movable wires are raised to hold the vine branches together.
These wires are then attached to the stakes in the row.
And, as Sofia is doing in the 1st photo, a staple is placed to bring the two wires together.
In photo 3, you can see that Sofia takes the opportunity to attach the young vines, too small to reach the trellising wires, to their stakes.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
A story of flowers and leaves...
This year, with the nights still cool, the vine is growing slowly. It doesn't have many leaves yet.
This is good news for the flowering, which is in full swing.
Why is this so?
Because the flowers are not surrounded by too many leaves.
The result is good ventilation and low hygrometry, factors that favor flowering in optimal conditions.
This is the personal, empirical analysis of a winegrower who is delighted that nature has given him extra time to keep up to date with his work.
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
Art & wine ... what better way to work than in an artistic atmosphere?
Sofia & Lucia rack our wines under the knowing gaze of the characters in the fresco created by artists Mosh & Picor.
After removing the lees from the bottom of the barrels and amphorae and cleaning them, they refill them with our wines, vintage 2024.
It's a big job, requiring a lot of precision. Thanks a lot!
Photo gallery: Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/rg9IrOp3yi8?feature=shared
Italian atmosphere for the racking of our wines, vintage 2024, by Lucia and Sofia, our cellar master!
Video : Nathalie Coipel
https://youtube.com/shorts/BFJ_jLlVna0?feature=shared
Agroforestry and biodiversity!
https://youtube.com/shorts/rHPyOHtLsrg?feature=shared
A “dorlotoir” for bees already squatted by spiders!
As part of its studies on biodiversity in our plots, the Chambre d'Agriculture has also installed shelters for wild bees.
The shelters were installed in a plot of organic vines and in another plot of organic agroforestry (hedges and trees in the vines).
A week after installing these 2 shelters, the one in the agroforestry plot is already occupied by spiders, while the other is still empty.
Video: Nathalie Coipel
The Chamber of Agriculture is interested in biodiversity on the plots of Château Anthonic, an organic winegrowing estate, and more specifically in the practical impact of agroforestry.
The first yellow bin was placed on a “normal” organic plot.
The second tray was placed next to agroforestry vines: hedges at the edge of the plot and trees in the plot.
The idea is to see if agroforestry has an impact on the insects observed.
We don't yet have the official conclusions from the Chamber of Agriculture.
But at first sight, there are many insects in the 2 plots, but with a greater diversity in the agroforestry plot.
Yesterday, we dug 1.5 m-deep soil pits to learn more about our terroirs.
Here we show you the 12 holes dug in a 1.1 hectare plot of our Château Lestage-Darquier Grand Poujeaux.
These pits show the presence of iron and limestone favorable to vines.
There are also deep gravels (the ones Lucie is holding in her hands) and clay, which provides insurance against drought.
The combination of gravel and clay gives a complex body to the wines.
Conclusion: this parcel is a great terroir for planting Cabernet-Sauvignon.
Fun fact: this parcel is called ‘Maleterre’, which literally means ‘bad soil’.
Maybe for cereals, but not for vines!
Photo: Nathalie Coipel
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/l9MEb4mxJ5c
Video: Nathalie Coipel
