Château Mascard is a small estate owned by Patrick Leroy, who purchased it in 2004. It is situated a few miles west of Pauillac in the Haut-Medoc on the left bank of the Garrone river. Here, the hilly vineyards share a mix of soil types as the dense gravel topsoil, which rests on strong clay beds, recedes and shifts into clay-dominant soil. The gravelly bits are best for Cabernet Sauvignon and the clay bits for Merlot. Mascard’s vines are planted accordingly and are reflected as such in the final blend.
The old Chateau pictured on the label is the actual house, though only one turret remains now. The estate is also home to the winery and 13 acres of vines. From these only 3,500 cases are produced annually. Patrick Leroy is a Bordeaux native and grew up in a wine making family. (The Leroys own Chateau Barateau, a classified Cru Bourgeoise Bordeaux estate.) Owning and running his own Chateau was Patrick’s dream, and he focuses all his energy and work on producing the best possible wine in small quantities.
Sustainable viticulture is practiced, and so the vines are tended without the use of herbicides and pesticides. The average vine age is 25 years. Grapes ripen late into the fall and are harvested in individual parcels. These are destemmed and fermented separately via cultured yeast in stainless steel vats at 78°F. Maceration lasts several weeks with pumping over three times a day. The finished lots are blended and aged in tank for 16 months before bottling. The final wine then rests at the estate for several years before release.