Château Les Garelles
Château Les Garelles
About 30 km north of Bordeaux, in the village of Saint-Christoly-de-Blaye at the heart of Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux on the right bank of the Gironde, stands the family-run Château Les Garelles. Clay-limestone soils, well-drained vineyards at around 50 metres of elevation — everything a vine needs to ripen slowly and in balance.
The story begins in 1997, when the Novoa family left Paris to take over the estate. It was a fresh start for the family, born of a wish to work the soil, to make something with their own hands, and to breathe life back into the château.
The turning point came in 2009. Thomas Novoa, the eldest son — an agricultural engineer and an oenologist — began converting the vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming, and set out to make wine without additives. In 2014 he released his first red with no added sulphites; in 2016 he extended the approach to the whites and rosés and obtained USDA Organic certification. In 2018 his brother Adrien, also an oenologist, joined him, and the two came to share a single vision: to make honest wines that are deeply rooted in their terroir. By 2019 every parcel had moved to biodynamics, and in 2023 the estate gained Japanese Organic JAS certification, opening the door to wine lovers in Japan.
Forty-five hectares are planted to Merlot, Carménère and Malbec for the reds, and Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris for the whites. Everything is aged in stainless steel, preserving the fruit, the freshness and an unforced expression of the terroir. The reds show fine-grained tannins and a beautiful frame; the whites, vivid acidity and an expansive aroma. Nothing is dressed up — the character of this land is reflected straight through the clarity of the wine.
"Terroir is a triptych of plant, climate and soil — and at its centre stands the human being." Those are Thomas's words. These are bottles raised with respect for nature and careful human attention. Look through the glass and you will find the landscape of Blaye, and the story of two brothers.
