From medieval manor to rebirth under Philippe Raoux
The history of Château d'Arsac dates back to the 12th century, when the estate belonged to the Lords of Arsac. In the 16th century, it came into the possession of Thomas de Montaigne, the brother of the philosopher Michel de Montaigne – an indication of the importance the estate held over the centuries. However, after the phylloxera crisis, the once largest winery in the Médoc fell into a long slumber: when Philippe Raoux bought the Château in 1986, there were only about four hectares of vines left, and the estate served, in his own words, as an industrial-scale chicken farm.
What followed is one of the most remarkable restoration stories in Bordeaux. Raoux, coming from a family of wine merchants with four generations of experience, consistently rebuilt the estate – vineyard by vineyard, appellation by appellation. Today, the estate covers a total area of around 250 hectares, of which over 100 hectares are planted with vines, divided between the Margaux and Haut-Médoc appellations. Remarkably, the vines are clustered around the Château in a single contiguous block – a true rarity for an estate of this size in the Médoc.
Viticulture, modern cellar, contemporary art
In the vineyard, the Château has been consistently implementing the "Zero Pesticide Residue" program since 2016. The vineyard area for Château Le Monteil d'Arsac is located in the Haut-Médoc on gravelly soils, which give the wine the typical structure and mineral precision of the left bank. In the cellar, precision work sets the tone: fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by twelve months of maturation in French oak barrels, a combination of new and used barriques.
In addition to the artisanal standard, a second passion shapes the Château: starting in 1988, Philippe Raoux began to assemble an extensive collection of contemporary art on the estate – sculptures and installations between the vines, in the cellar, and in the Château itself. Every year, a new work is added, so that the entire estate now functions as a living open-air museum. This connection between terroir and zeitgeist is not a marketing concept, but a conviction that has grown over decades.
Haut-Médoc with Margaux precision: the style of Le Monteil d'Arsac
Château Le Monteil d'Arsac is the estate's Haut-Médoc wine – created from around 50 hectares of vines on the heights of the Monteil hill, the highest part of the estate. The cuvée is based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and receives the same care in the cellar as the flagship from the Margaux appellation. The result: a structured red wine with dark berry fruit, notes of spices and coffee, powerful but integrated tannins, and a long finish. In 2020, the Château was elevated to the highest level of the Médoc classification, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel – one of only 14 Châteaux to hold this rank.
