Portraits of winemakers

CHÂTEAU MÉRIC, MARIUS CHALA: WINEMAKER, MUSICIAN AND OXYMORONIST

From Music to Wine

A New Beginning in Winemaking

Former rock-electro band member Marius Chala traded his guitar (though he never really gave it up) for bottles of wine and winemaking cellars to lead a "more orderly" life. "The few thousand albums we sold with my band allowed me to buy a vineyard property with my parents in 1999, the year my first child was born," Marius explains.

His heart led him to Château Méric, a vineyard located 80 km from Bordeaux on the Graves peninsula. "A wildly beautiful place, which, according to legend, belonged to a 13th-century knight: the Chevalier Méric," Marius recounts.

Close Collaboration with a Cellar Master and an Agronomist

Marius learned the winemaking trade in the field. Although he first encountered this world during his teenage years through harvesting and vineyard work, the true origin of his passion dates back to his first tasting memory: a Saint-Émilion from the renowned Bordeaux estate Cheval Blanc, paired with roast beef and a bit of cheese.

Today, he passionately manages this nearly 18-hectare vineyard, cultivated using sustainable farming practices, with a team of four permanent employees, including a cellar master and Marie Bordy, an agronomist and oenologist who assists him daily in crafting the estate's wines. "I provide my specifications to Marie Bordy, who then has full freedom to manage the operation," Marius explains.

Méric Style: "Violently Smooth Wines"

Crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Merlot (34%), and Petit Verdot (14%), the wines of Château Méric stand out for their silky tannins, contrasting with the traditionally robust and full-bodied Medoc wines. "We took a different approach from what was done 20 years ago. But today, this choice has become trendy! It just goes to show that you should always dare in life. That’s why I always try to follow the Chevalier Méric's motto: be just and fear nothing, believe in what you do... even if it's not easy every day and sometimes you have to grit your teeth. But the last part, I added myself," Marius laughs.

While the wines of Château Méric are elegant and silky, they remain wines that age well. "What I call the Méric style is: our wines are violently smooth, with a flattering, velvety taste but with strong aromatic persistence," Marius describes.

New Cuvée Release in 2017

At Château Méric, future projects abound. The most imminent? The release of the "Le Petit Méric" cuvée, a red wine to enjoy with friends at aperitifs. Marius is also considering starting white wine production: "We are currently testing several vineyard plots to determine which grape variety will best suit our terroir. Just like with my music, I’m looking for an 'artistic' alchemy: I definitely don’t want to fall into stereotypes!"

Never short of ideas, Marius is also contemplating a concept somewhat similar to the Covigneron site: offering wine enthusiasts the chance to buy a row of vines and vinify their own wines in exchange for a few bottles to take home at the end...