Le Dôme’s origins have their roots in the ‘movement of the 1990’s It is one of the three Saint Émilion Grand Crus that outgrew the movement to go on to challenge Cru Classés each year.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, the vines are cropped low around 30 hectolitres a hectare four bunches to the vine (less than half the volume authorized by the Appellation), ensuring concentration The soil/terroir is sand over crasse de fer (iron deposits) These deposits, coupled with the south facing slope, ensure amazing drainage, keeping the vines seeking moisture. The identified parcel was purchased only as a result of its provenance The terroir and the age of the vines were determining factors

Le Dôme has two to three runs of green harvesting at fruit set and veraison ensuring that only the most perfect are sorted firstly by the bunch and then, after destemming, grape by grape Only conveyors are used to transport the grapes and the wine is fermented in wooden vats after extreme cold maceration The wines undergo malolactic fermentation in new French oak, and are barrel aged in a 14°C cellar.

Allegedly the biggest expression of Cabernet Franc of a Bordeaux wine surpassing Château Cheval Blanc and Le Dôme’s neighbor Angelus. We started making the wine in 1996 two years after our arrival in Saint-Émilion. With only sixteen years of history, Le Dôme competes with the greatest and most historic châteaux of the appellation.